Submit Workplace workers “implicated” within the Horizon scandal might “still be operating at the heart” of the enterprise, the inquiry into it has heard.
Chief govt Nick Learn was on Thursday questioned about points round employees who performed a component in wrongful prosecutions and investigations of sub postmasters earlier than 2015.
Jason Beer KC requested whether or not, throughout a gathering in January with the then Submit Workplace minister Kevin Hollinrake, the federal government was “green lighting” motion towards workers.
Nick Learn replied that it “does sound like it” however admitted the Submit Workplace has “dragged our feet” and never been “robust” in performing.
Addressing Mr Learn, Mr Beer then stated: “The issue is the potential for individuals who still may be operating at the heart of Post Office who are implicated in events in the past, isn’t it?”
Mr Learn replied: “That is the case and, as I’ve been very clear, where we get formal allegations we will act. Pre-emptively we have struggled to move people on from the organisation.”
Tons of of sub postmasters had been wrongfully convicted because of defective Horizon laptop software program utilized by the Submit Workplace between 1999 and 2015.
In one in all his witness statements, Mr Learn additionally says the Submit Workplace stored investigators employed as a result of they’ve “human rights”.
He writes he would have “preferred” that extra “decisive action” had been taken, and he had aired these views to the board.
He describes a “collective decision” to not “simply dismiss anyone who was, for instance, an investigator at the time but against whom there was no direct evidence of wrongdoing, rather to transfer them to other departments”.
He asserts that until wrongdoing may be confirmed, the Submit Workplace “cannot simply remove existing staff because they were in post when the miscarriages of justice were taking place”.
“Those individuals of course have employment and indeed human rights themselves,” he says.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
2:21
Outgoing Submit Workplace boss ‘would not have to clear his identify’
Three folks underneath investigation
On Wednesday, it emerged three people are at present underneath investigation by the Submit Workplace and out of doors businesses over their conduct across the Horizon scandal.
Allegations towards the people had emerged in restorative justice hearings with victims.
The inquiry additionally heard particulars in regards to the new contracts in place for sub postmasters that point out the Submit Workplace Investigation Division (POID).
Mr Beer questioned how applicable the contract at present is in telling sub postmasters the POID has investigatory powers together with “an evidential interview process under caution”.
Mr Learn admitted the wording was “heavy handed” and agreed it wanted “addressing, not just rewording”.
He additionally informed the inquiry it was “astonishing” the Submit Workplace was concerned within the administration of compensation schemes.
He stated the “corporate view” was that the Submit Workplace shouldn’t have something to do with them.
When requested why that view was not communicated to the inquiry, Mr Learn responded: “It’s a good question. I’m unsure why we didn’t make that very explicit… clearly we should have done.”
He described it as a “failure”.
The inquiry continues.
