- Post Office CEO takes leave for inquiry prep
- Owen Woodley to handle operations temporarily
- Horizon scandal inquiry focuses on current practices
Nick Read told staff that he plans to devote his “entire attention” to hearings in September that will look into existing Post Office practices.
Nick Read, the Post Office’s chief executive, is taking a temporary leave of absence to prepare for the next stage of the Horizon scandal inquiry.
Mr Read, who succeeded the widely criticized Paula Vennells after she stepped down in 2019, told workers in a note that he wanted to devote his “entire attention” to the stage of the hearings in September that will investigate current Post Office procedures.
It was announced that his deputy, Owen Woodley, would handle the day-to-day operations from Monday, July 15, to the end of August.
Mr. Read’s note, initially revealed by Post Office scandal-focused writer Nick Wallis, stated that we must demonstrate our improvements and offer confidence to the investigation and the country at large that ‘nothing like this could happen again.’
Between 1999 and 2015, more than 700 sub-postmasters were charged with theft and fake accounting after Fujitsu’s flawed accounting software appeared to show that money was missing from their branches.
While the sub-postmasters convictions have been reversed, many can still not obtain total compensation through methods geared at expediting final restitution.
The panel has heard repeated denials of a cover-up from important players like executives and lawyers.
Among the witnesses was Mr Read’s predecessor, who returned her CBE – granted in 2019 for “services to the Post Office and charity” – amid public outrage over the incident following the premiere of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs. the Post Office.
Ms Vennells told the committee that she had been overly trusting of those dealing with rising concerns about previous cases, resulting in a “lost decade” in discovering miscarriages of justice.
Mr Read’s term has been marked by the consequences of efforts to rebuild trust in the Post Office.
Following an evidence hearing in February of this year, the Business and Commerce Committee of MPs expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership, accusing him of providing inaccurate evidence on at least two occasions.
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He refuted allegations made by former colleague Henry Staunton in front of MPs that he threatened to resign multiple times unless his pay was increased.
It was later revealed that he had been “exonerated” of internal bullying complaints brought against him, which he had consistently denied.
A Post Office spokesperson said of Mr Read’s decision: “Appropriate preparation before a corporate witness testimony is critical and allows the company to support the Inquiry’s valuable work effectively.
We are fortunate to have a solid senior executive group, which guarantees that the company is well-positioned to help postmasters during the busy summer trading season.
