\n<\/p>\n
Ministers in David Cameron<\/a>\u2019s administration were told that Post Office<\/a> bosses had dropped a secret investigation that may have helped to prove postmasters\u2019 innocence while continuing to deny that the Horizon computer system was faulty, it has been claimed. <\/a><\/p>\n A 2016 internal investigation into how and why cash accounts on the Horizon IT system had been tampered with<\/a> \u2013 which spanned 17 years of records \u2013 was suddenly dropped after postmasters began legal action.<\/p>\n According to the BBC, ministers in Lord Cameron\u2019s administration were told Post Office bosses had dropped the inquiry \u2013 while denying Horizon computer system was faulty.<\/a><\/p>\n Despite the investigation, the organisation still argued in court, two years later, that it was impossible for Fujitsu to remotely access subpostmaster accounts.<\/a><\/p>\n More than 700 branch managers were prosecuted by the Post Office<\/a> between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their shops.<\/p>\n Hundreds of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses are still awaiting compensation despite the government<\/a> announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for \u00a3600,000 payouts.<\/p>\n David Cameron was in No 10 when an internal investigation into the Horizon system was dropped <\/p>\n<\/div>\n (PA)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n But the latest revelations raise questions as to how long ministers had been aware of the possibility of remote access and why the government did nothing to prevent the Post Office from saying that Fujitsu could not alter branch manager\u2019s accounts. <\/p>\n Documents obtained by the BBC <\/em>show how the secret 2016 investigation into Fujitsu\u2019s use of remote access had come out of a review by former top Treasury lawyer Jonathan Swift QC, which had been approved by the then-business secretary Sajid Javid<\/a>. <\/p>\n But in June that year, when sub-postmasters launched their legal action, the government was told through Post Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe that the investigation had been scrapped on \u201cvery strong advice\u201d from the senior barrister representing them.<\/p>\n There is no evidence in the documents that then-prime minister Mr Cameron personally knew about the investigation or that it had been ditched.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Lord Cameron pointed to his previous comments saying he could not remember being briefed about the Horizon scandal while he was prime minister.<\/p>\n The foreign secretary, who was in No 10 between 2010 and 2016, said in January: \u201cI don\u2019t recall in any detail being briefed or being aware of the scale of this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that anyone who was involved in government over the last two decades had to be \u201cextremely sorry\u201d for the miscarriage of justice<\/p>\n The revelations follow a series of explosive interactions between the former Post Office chair, Henry Staunton, and business secretary, Kemi Badenoch<\/a>. <\/p>\n Mr Staunton accused Ms Kemi Badenoch of making \u201can astonishing series of claims\u201d and mischaracterisations after she told MPs he had spread \u201cmade-up anecdotes\u201d following his dismissal.<\/a><\/p>\n The former Post Office boss has said that he had been told to stall compensation payouts for postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.<\/a><\/p>\n In a statement to the Commons, the business secretary said there was \u201cno evidence whatsoever\u201d of his account and branded it \u201ca blatant attempt to seek revenge\u201d for his sacking.<\/p>\n She also claimed he was being investigated over bullying allegations before he was fired as chair, and that concerns were raised about his \u201cwillingness\u00a0to cooperate\u201d with the probe.<\/p>\n Hitting back later on Monday, a spokesperson for Mr Staunton said Ms Badenoch had made an \u201castonishing series of claims\u201d about the saga.<\/p>\n Business secretary Kemi Badenoch rejected what Henry Staunton said in an interview with \u2018The Sunday Times\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n (PA)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n In a statement given to reporters, they said he had recorded the comment about delaying compensation \u201cat the time in a file note which he emailed to himself and to colleagues and which is therefore traceable on the Post Office server\u201d.<\/p>\n About the alleged bullying investigation, the spokesperson said: \u201cThis is the first time the existence of such allegations has been mentioned and Mr Staunton is not aware of any aspect of his conduct which could give rise to such allegations.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were certainly not raised by the secretary of state at any stage, and certainly not during the conversation which led to Mr Staunton\u2019s dismissal. Such behaviour would in any case be totally out of character.\u201d<\/p>\n Downing Street backed Ms Badenoch\u2019s statement in parliament in which she said there had been an investigation into bullying allegations against Mr Staunton. A spokesperson for the prime minister confirmed the statement was cleared with No 10.<\/p>\n The prime minister\u2019s official spokesperson also urged the Post Office to share a note Mr Staunton claims proves he was given a so-called \u201cgo slow\u201d order to delay compensation to postmasters.<\/p>\n \u201cIf such a note exists, we obviously would encourage the Post Office to share it so it can be investigated and we can take any action that\u2019s necessary,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Mr Staunton, who was sacked by the business secretary last month, had used a Sunday Times<\/em> interview to suggest that the alleged request to delay payouts was linked to concerns about the cost of Horizon scandal compensation heading into the election.<\/p>\n Ms Badenoch had said allegations relating to Mr Staunton\u2019s conduct, including \u201cserious matters such as bullying\u201d, were being examined.<\/p>\n Speaking in the Commons, she also described it as \u201cso disappointing that he\u2019s chosen to spread a series of falsehoods, provide made-up anecdotes to journalists, and leak discussions held in confidence\u201d.<\/p>\n Ms Badenoch said it had confirmed in her mind that \u201cI made the correct decision in dismissing him\u201d.<\/p>\n Ministers are facing questions following the claims by the former Post Office chair<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (PA)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n For Labour, shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds<\/a> said ministers must ensure claims the government had looked to stall Horizon compensation payments are \u201cshown to be false in no uncertain terms\u201d.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cYet we do now have two completely contrasting accounts, one from the chair of the Post Office, and one from the secretary of state, and only one of these accounts can be the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Badenoch reiterated her denial of the claims. On Monday she said: \u201cThere would be no benefit whatsoever of us delaying compensation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis does not have any significant impact on revenues whatsoever. It would be a mad thing to even suggest, and the compensation scheme which Mr Staunton oversaw has actually been completed, and my understanding is 100 per cent of payments have been made, so clearly no instruction was given.\u201d<\/p>\n Chair of the business committee Liam Byrne told BBC Radio 4\u2019s\u00a0Today<\/em>\u00a0programme: \u201cWhat we could do without right now is a war of words between the secretary of state and the former chairman, what we really need is ministers writing checks to the hundreds of subpostmasters who need redress, and they\u2019ve been waiting for too long.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Byrne said he \u201chopes\u201d to be able to obtain a contemporaneous note Mr Staunton kept after being given the so-called \u201cgo slow\u201d order.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cYesterday I invited Mr Staunton to come before the committee next week, and today we will be sending for the papers that we need to try and get to the truth. <\/p>\n \u201cCrucially, we\u2019ll be sending for that note that Mr Staunton says he made that sets out the go slow order that he says he received from senior civil servants\u2026 but which the secretary of state professed no knowledge of yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n Environment secretary Steve Barclay has given his backing to the business secretary and said that the government is focused on securing justice for subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal.<\/p>\n Environment secretary Steve Barclay has defended the business minister <\/p>\n<\/div>\n (PA)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n He told Times Radio that Ms Badenoch is \u201csomeone who has an absolute commitment to doing the right thing by those who have suffered what is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice that our country has seen, and also in terms of the importance of statements to the House of Commons. That is something that any minister making a statement takes extremely seriously\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked if he believed Ms Badenoch, he replied: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n