- Bates implicates Post Office in Horizon IT scandal inquiry
- Post Office accused of targeting Bates, labeled “unmanageable”
- Current CEO refutes delays in document submission to inquiry
Alan Bates and his assistants handled 507 calls to the Post Office helpline during his tenure as branch manager for less than three years. Of these calls, 85 were related to the malfunctioning Horizon IT system and balancing issues.
Alan Bates, an advocate for Post Office victims, testified before the Horizon IT scandal inquiry that it was “pretty obvious” that the organization “was after me in some way.”
The documents obtained through the organization of the Horizon IT scandal by the former managing director of the organization also labelled Mr Bates as “unmanageable.”
Presenting himself before the inquiry today, Mr Bates contended that the Post Office terminated his contract because he “did not like standing up to them.”
Nick Read, the current CEO of the Post Office, described his responses to reporters independent of the investigation as thought-provoking and sobering.
Early in January, actor Toby Jones portrayed Mr Bates in the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs. The Post Office elevated public consciousness regarding his contribution to exposing the scandal.
The television drama significantly altered public and political sentiment regarding the industrial-scale miscarriage of justice endured by sub-post managers.
A considerable number of sub-post managers faced legal action for theft and fraudulent accounting; furthermore, a significant number of them were shunned and compelled to vacate their communities after incurring substantial debts or losing their residences to compensate for losses, the majority of which were ultimately attributed to inaccuracies in the Post Office’s Horizon accounting software.
When queried about the Post Office’s culture in the aft, it was characterized as an “organization” that was “beyond salvaging.”
“They need disbanding; it needs removing,” he indicated.
It requires reconstruction beginning on the main floor.
Presently, the postal service as a whole is non-functional. It is no longer saveable.
It must be sold to a retailer such as Amazon.
“It requires a substantial infusion of capital, which I believe can only come from the outside,” he continued. “Otherwise, it will burden the government for years to come.”
Knowledge held by the Post Office in the early 2000s
Mr Bates maintained consistent communication with the Post Office’s IT helpdesk and, in the early 2000s, penned organization officials in which he detailed his numerous Horizon system issues, according to testimony presented today at the inquiry.
During the two years and nine months that Mr Bates and his assistants managed the Post Office branch in Llandudno, Wales, 507 calls were placed to the helpline. Among these calls, 85 were associated with issues about Horizon and balancing.
On a standard form featuring a “delete as appropriate” checkbox, the Post Office formally reclassified a loss incurred by Mr. Bates’s branch.
Mr. Bates distinctly remembers a superintendent at the post office at the time, remarking, “Oh, it’s another one; the Horizon losses.”
The Post Office discontinued sub-postmaster prosecution based on inaccurate data obtained from Horizon in 2015.
In 2019, an apology was not rendered after a triumphant High Court challenge initiated by Mr Bates and other sub-postmaster victims.
The Post Office’s treatment of Mr Bates
Following consistent notification of concerns to Horizon officials and refusing to reimburse a Horizon-generated loss, Mr. Bates was terminated without explanation via letter.
A manager at the post office had directed Mr Bates to compensate for the approximately £1,000 loss that the IT system had identified in his accounting.
When queried about the reason for his dismissal, Mr Bates responded, “In essence, I believe it was because a) they disliked me for challenging them initially; b) they found it awkward; and c) they were unable to provide satisfactory answers and had a sense that I would continue to behave in a similar manner moving forward.”
In an internal document concerning the Horizon system’s integrity, Mr Bates was similarly labelled “unmanageable” by David Smith, the Post Office’s managing director of branch accounting at the time.
The document elaborated on situations in which concerns were expressed regarding Horizon.
About the difficulties faced by Mr. Bates, the document stated, “Bates was terminated due to his unmanageable nature and discrepancies.”
Delays in document creation
Present Post Office CEO Mr Read refuted the organization’s recurrent failure to promptly submit documents to the inquiry, which impedes the investigation.
An investigation’s solicitors detailed a sequence of noncompliance with agreements and failure to meet deadlines to furnish documents that could be read, comprehended, and presented to witnesses.
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Jason Beer KC described previous instances of delayed disclosure as “extremely disruptive” and described the most recent postponements as “extremely concerning.”
The Post Office has expressed “regret” that documents were not provided to the Horizon IT Inquiry “immediately,” as desired by all parties.
An official from the Post Office stated, “We have disclosed nearly half a million documents to date, which reflects both the unprecedented magnitude of the issues in the scandal and our dedication to transparency. We are fully committed to supporting the investigation into the truth.
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