A confidential agreement between the Post Office and Fujitsu from 2006 has revealed that both parties had authorisation to alter branch accounts, contradicting claims that remote adjustments were not possible. The 26-page document, marked “Commercial in Confidence”, shows that Fujitsu was liable for penalty payments of £100-£150 per faulty transaction with the Horizon IT system.
The revelation casts doubt on the Post Office’s assertions during criminal prosecutions that no bugs existed capable of causing accounting shortfalls. In the Horizon scandal, over 900 convictions were linked to the faulty system, which erroneously showed shortfalls on accounts, leading to wrongful prosecutions, financial ruin, and even suicides among post office operators.
Paul Marshall, a senior barrister for post office operators, stated that the Post Office conducted criminal trials and group litigation on the basis that it knew of no substantial problems with Horizon, yet the 2006 agreement shows a recognised issue with data integrity. Lee Castleton, a wrongfully accused operator, described the discovery as “physically sickening” and noted that it would have made a difference to his case if disclosed.
A Post Office spokesperson apologised for the hurt caused and stated the organisation is focused on transparency, redress, and restorative justice. A Fujitsu spokesperson declined to comment, citing the ongoing public inquiry.
