Roger Gilbert, the former chief executive and chairman of Fujitsu UK and Ireland, has said that he was only made aware of the prosecution of sub-postmasters once during his period in charge from 2009 to 2012. Gilbert said the Horizon team had informed him that the Post Office was managing prosecutions in a “competent and honest” manner. He added that he was “shocked” by the Post Office’s actions and showed sympathy for the scandal’s victims and their families.
Gilbert chose only to respond to questions by email, as he felt that the format allowed for careful, considered answers. Investigations continue into allegations of perjury by two former Fujitsu employees and as Patterson says that Horizon had “bugs, errors, and defects” from the outset. Gilbert stated that he knew that Horizon contained glitches.
Throughout his time in charge of Fujitsu UK and Ireland, Gilbert said he was unaware of the relevant Computer Weekly campaign into the scandal because he did not subscribe to the publication. However, he did acknowledge seeing reports in other trade journals. He also noted that during his time in charge of the company, Horizon contracts represented just 5% of Fujitsu’s total business.
Gilbert has not yet been asked to speak to the ongoing statutory Horizon Inquiry. He did offer advice regarding businesses that support prosecutions in court, arguing that “there is a need for the board to review their implementation of corporate risk management”. This is necessary, he explained, to minimise the chances of the company “becoming involved in an unsafe prosecution” and the resultant financial and reputational risks.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More