Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Former Post Office lawyer denies 'covering up' allegations

Former Post Office lawyer denies 'covering up' allegations
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Getty Images

A former Post Office lawyer has denied “covering up” knowledge of problems with the Horizon IT system after a public inquiry heard that he “sat on” an email highlighting IT bugs, which was not disclosed to the criminal trial of a pregnant post office operative.

Jarnail Singh, the former head of criminal law at the Post Office, was being questioned at the long-running public inquiry into the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of post office operators during which the inquiry heard today (3) that Singh received an email on Oct 8 2010, highlighting IT problems with the Horizon IT system – days before the start of the criminal trial of Seema Misra, who was jailed in 2010.


Former sub-postmistress Misra was sentenced to 15 months in prison for theft while eight weeks pregnant. Her conviction was among those overturned by the court of appeal in 2021.

The Oct 8 email forwarded to Singh was written by another Post Office executive, Alan Simpson, who highlighted “a series of incidents” whereby “it appears that when posting discrepancies to the local suspense [account] these amounts simply disappear at branch level”.

Jason Beer KC, counsel to the inquiry, told Singh that the 2010 email should have “rung alarm bells” because it showed money was shown as disappearing from the Horizon IT system at branch level. However, the email was never disclosed to Misra’s defence lawyers before her 2010 trial, which began the following week.

Singh told the inquiry, “I don’t remember seeing the email … [or] the attachments to it at all … From memory I don’t recall this document.”

Beer told the inquiry that the document had been saved to Singh’s computer and had been printed out minutes after it was received.

Singh replied, “That is not true and I don’t feel guilty because I haven’t received it … I don’t recall receiving it, reading it or printing it – that is my evidence on oath.”

Furthermore, the inquiry heard that Singh wrote in an email in 2014 that it was the "correct decision" by the Post Office not to disclose investigating officers' reports, and said had they been disclosed in the case of ex-sub-postmistress Jo Hamilton, it would've been "an extremely dangerous approach".

Hamilton was prosecuted for a shortfall of £36,000 at her Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire in 2006 and was persuaded to plead guilty to a charge of false accounting.

Singh denied that he had read the investigation report into allegations against Hamilton, and was therefore unaware of the faults in her case. Beer pushed back against this, and said it seems he'd read the report because he quoted directly from it.

During a testy exchange, Singh called not disclosing investigating officers' reports in Hamilton's case a "mistake" while Beer pushed that it was a "part of a cover-up."

More for you

Sugro UK member honoured with King’s Award
for Enterprise

Sugro UK member honoured with King’s Award for Enterprise

Sugro UK member and Brand Factory Ltd board director Tony Cox has been awarded The King’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade 2024, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in global trade.

The prestigious award was presented during an on-site ceremony held recently at their Aylesbury location, honouring all 84 staff members who have contributed to the company's success. The presentation was made by Countess Howe, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, and received by Tony Cox and Dilip Vithlani on behalf of the Brand Factory team.

Keep ReadingShow less
vapes

Vape products are displayed for sale on October 27, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images

Industry welcomes licensing scheme proposal in Tobacco and Vapes Bill


The government has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill the parliament, which includes a proposal for a licensing scheme for retailers selling tobacco, vape, and nicotine products across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pre-festive deals boosted food sales in otherwise 'disappointing' October

iStock image

Pre-festive deals boosted food sales in otherwise 'disappointing' October

Arrival of customary "pre-festive" deals boosted food sales though overall sales suffered in October as cash-strapped shoppers stayed at home, holding off purchases amid uncertainty over the budget and fears over rising energy bills.

According to data from the British Retail Consortium and the consultancy KPMG published today (5), sales increased by 0.6 per cent compared with October 2023, less than half the three-month average growth rate of 1.3 per cent.

Keep ReadingShow less
Local charity

Wigan Nisa Local raises over £2,400 for local charity

Nisa Local Smithy Green, led by store owners Mitesh and his brother Hepesh Halai (affectionately known as Gaz), joined forces with Ince CE Primary School to host a fun-filled fundraising day for Talk First, a local charity supporting families and children.

Originally intended to take place outside the Nisa store, the overwhelming community interest prompted the school to generously offer their grounds, transforming the day into a larger celebration of community spirit.

Keep ReadingShow less
EG Group
Photo: EG Group

EG Group completes divestment of UK forecourt business to Zuber Issa


Forecourt operator EG Group on Friday said it has completed the sale of its remaining UK forecourt business and certain foodservice locations to co-founder Zuber Issa.

Keep ReadingShow less