LONDON, January 28, 2024 – The British government is facing mounting pressure to launch a full, independent investigation into the prosecutions of subpostmasters by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), following the widespread scandal involving the Post Office.The call for a deeper probe comes amid concerns that dozens of convictions may be unsafe.
Campaigning peer Prem Sikka, scheduled to meet with DWP minister Andrew Western today (January 27), stated he will push for more than the currently proposed “independent assurance review.” “I want to see an independent investigation, and I want the survivors and the families of those who have passed away to be invited to give evidence,” Sikka added.
Review Deemed Insufficient
The current review process is facing criticism for its perceived inadequacy and critically important delays.
The DWP,in collaboration with the Post Office,pursued prosecutions against approximately 100 subpostmasters accused of benefit-related financial crimes. Peers and advocacy groups believe these prosecutions warrant a thorough re-examination. Tho, the promised review has been slow to materialize; the government has yet to appoint a reviewer six months after the initial announcement.
Sikka expressed his frustration, stating, “As far as I know, no [potential] victims have been contacted [by the DWP]. There has been no call for evidence and the minister said in private that there was no intention to look at any cases, but that it is indeed just a case of reviewing the documentation.”
He shared that families affected by the prosecutions have reached out to him, desperately seeking to clear the names of deceased loved ones. “People have been in touch with me and they’re trying to defend a loved one who has passed away, saying, ‘Father was absolutely innocent’ and, ‘He never did anything that was wrong’.”
Sikka acknowledged the difficulty in gathering evidence after so much time has passed. “These people were so badly scarred that whatever they had in their lofts and in garden sheds, they destroyed over the years.”
Lord James Arbuthnot, who has campaigned for justice for subpostmasters for over 15 years, echoed these concerns. As a member of the Horizon Advisory Board, he
A former subpostmaster and IT professional who actively campaigned for justice, issued a stark warning to the DWP via social media. “Heads will roll, convictions overturned, honours rescinded and a public inquiry along with copious compensation for all affected,” he predicted. “Pay careful attention to the remit [of the review]. That’ll soon change.”
In 2015, McCormack sent an email to then Post Office CEO Paula Vennells, urging her to address the persecution of subpostmasters wrongly blamed for discrepancies linked to the Horizon accounting system. He presented Vennells
