Hundreds of UK postmasters to have convictions overturned following Fujitsu software malfunction

Jan 11, 2024 | News On Japan

LONDON, Jan 11, 2024 (News On Japan) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced new legislation to overturn the convictions of postmasters wrongfully accused of embezzlement following the discovery of flaws in an accounting system provided to post offices by Fujitsu.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated, "This is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation's history. People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation."

Prime Minister Sunak revealed on Wednesday that he would "introduce new legislation to prove the innocence of the victims and promptly compensate them."

In the UK, from 1999 to 2015, over 700 postmasters were convicted of embezzlement and accounting fraud. However, it was later discovered that the discrepancies between cash at the counters and the figures in the faulty Horizon accounting software, provided by Fujitsu's local subsidiary, were due to flaws in the accounting system, leading to these wrongful convictions.

According to the BBC, so far, only 93 people have had their convictions overturned, and a public inquiry into the case has been ongoing since 2021.

The case has gained rapid attention, particularly after a drama series on the incident was aired on British TV earlier this year.

The Business and Trade Committee of the UK House of Commons has requested testimonies from Fujitsu representatives in a committee meeting on January 16.

Meanwhile, Fujitsu's local subsidiary has commented that it will "fully cooperate with the investigation."

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