Quantcast
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7027

Postmistress not guilty: IT now suspected

THE case against a St Keverne postmistress accused of false accounting involving sums of up to £22,500 has been dropped as part of a review into Post Office accounting systems.

A verdict of not guilty was officially recorded in the case of Susan Knight, 58, who has worked for the company for 32 years, when she appeared at Truro Crown Court.

Michelle Clarke, for the prosecution, said all cases alleging dishonesty by Post Office employees were being reviewed individually but that in Mrs Knight's case it had been decided it was not in the public interest to proceed.

She added that Mrs Knight, whose contract had been terminated, had given more than £20,000 to the Post Office to cover the alleged shortfall.

MP Andrew George said he would be seeking a full apology from the Post Office for Mrs Knight and called for her to be given her job back.

Last year the Post Office appointed external investigators to examine allegations of deficiencies in its Horizon computer system, which is used in all its outlets.

The review came after many sub-postmasters said they had been wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting. Some say they have been forced to pay back thousands of pounds which they did not take.

Many of them were stripped of their post office contracts and forced to declare bankruptcy, and a handful have served prison sentences.

In a statement, read outside court on her behalf by solicitor Russell Wood, Mrs Knight said: "Before I was audited I had already spent all my savings trying to meet accounting errors alleged through reliance upon Horizon and, those savings having run out, was left with little option but to hope the errors in the system would come to light. They did not and after audit I borrowed over £20,000, which I gave to the Post Office to meet what I now believe to be false figures that were produced."

She said she had been helped by the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance, an action group for former subpostmasters accused of theft, fraud or false accounting.

Mrs Knight said she was delighted the prosecution had decided to offer no evidence and would, with the help of the Alliance, continue to fight for the "repayment of all that has been wrongly taken" from her and others.

"This computer system is clearly producing inaccurate accounts which the Post Office has relied upon for far too long to prosecute innocent subpostmasters throughout the country, some of whom have given them decades of loyal and honest service," she said.

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said the company would not be commenting on individual cases and issued a statement saying a review showed its Horizon computer system worked effectively, though it admitted there were training and support issues.

It said it was working with the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance and MPs who had raised concerns.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7027

Trending Articles



<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>