Post Office scandal trials 'unlikely before 2028'

THE people responsible for the Post Office Horizon scandal may not face trial until 2028, according to the senior police officer leading the investigation.

Commander Stephen Clayman has said that the process is taking longer because police are now looking at a wider group of people, not just those directly involved in decisions about the faulty Horizon computer system, reported the Telegraph.

Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly accused of theft and false accounting after problems with the Horizon software made it appear that money was missing from local Post Office branches.

Many of these sub-postmasters lost their jobs, reputations, and in some cases, their freedom. The scandal is now seen as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.

Despite a court ruling that cleared many of the former sub-postmasters, hundreds are still waiting for compensation. The government has promised payouts of up to £600,000 for those whose convictions have been overturned, but delays continue.

Commander Clayman explained that the investigation, known as Operation Olympos, has grown in size and complexity. Police are now looking beyond the original group of suspects to include senior managers and others who may have played a role in the scandal.

“We are beginning to scope, looking at wider management. That will happen and is happening – it will just take time to get there,” he told the BBC. He stressed the need for the police teams to be “really meticulous and pay attention to detail”.

So far, seven people have been identified as suspects, and dozens more are considered persons of interest. The investigation is enormous, with more than 3,000 possible victims and 1.5 million documents to review.

No one will be charged until the public inquiry into the scandal has finished and police have carefully examined its findings. The inquiry is expected to provide crucial evidence about who knew what, and when.

Victims of the scandal say they are desperate for answers and accountability. Tim Brentnall, a former sub-postmaster, said it was important for the police to “do it properly”, even if it means waiting longer for justice.

David Enright, a solicitor from Howe and Co, whose firm represented most of the sub-postmasters involved in the inquiry, said many sub-postmasters have died without ever seeing those responsible held to account. He added that sub-postmasters are left wondering why there is no real urgency driving the police investigation.

A Post Office spokesperson said the company has “co-operated fully and openly with the Metropolitan Police since early 2020 to provide whatever information it needs for its investigations”.