During a hearing related to compensation payments for sub-postmasters impacted by the Horizon scandal, Henry Staunton, the former chairman of Post Office, surprised MPs by revealing the current company CEO, Nick Read, is being investigated. While witnesses earlier in the day informed the MPs there was an internal investigation into Staunton’s behaviour while he chaired the company, Staunton instead alleged an 80-page internal document contained references to Read wanting to step down because he was unhappy with his pay. The Post Office declined to comment on the matter. The Department for Business and Trade said it was also aware of an investigation into Read but hadn’t seen the report referred to by Staunton and hadn’t confirmed its contents.
Between 1990 and 2015, 700 sub-postmasters were prosecuted by the Post Office for misappropriation and false accounting due to shortfalls in branch accounts caused by the Horizon IT system developed by Fujitsu. It led to the most extensive miscarriage of legal justice in British history, with thousands of other sub-postmasters pouring their own money into Post Office shops they managed to make up for errors in Horizon.
Sub-postmasters are currently demanding compensation, yet Bates believes the government has failed to pay those owed rapidly. Bates, whose story inspired an ITV drama series about the scandal, stated the compensation process had slowed until his case made headlines. The pace of compensating sub-postmasters is in danger of being overshadowed by the developments related to Staunton and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
Badenoch counteracted Tombides’s accusations, saying they were false and that she dismissed Staunton over immensely serious accusations about his conduct at the helm of Post Office. Additionally, concerns were expressed about the method of appointing a senior independent director at Post Office whose duties include challenging the chair on any issues.
Staunton remarked last week that he had been warned to ease spending on compensation by a senior civil servant or face repercussions. Staunton claimed he was the subject of a “smear campaign” and that Read was the primary focus of an investigation prompted by accusations made by the former HR manager at Post Office with whom Read had a disagreement. Staunton said that Read attempted to resign from his role four times when Staunton headed Post Office between December 2022 and January 2024. However, Read denied these allegations when questioned by MPs present under oath
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