Via Dearbail Jordan & Michael RaceBusiness newshounds, BBC News18 January 2024, 10:39 GMTUpdated 7 mins agoImage supply, Getty ImagesA Fujitsu supervisor known as a Submit Place of job sub-postmaster a “nasty chap” forward of a felony combat that left him bankrupt, an inquiry has heard.Peter Sewell, who used to be a part of the Submit Place of job Account Safety Crew on the corporate, made the remark about Lee Castleton in an electronic mail in 2006.Mr Castleton used to be discovered to have a £25,000 shortfall at his department after being sued via the Submit Place of job.Mr Sewell instructed the inquiry: “I have no idea why that used to be written.”According to the revelation, Mr Castleton instructed the BBC the remark stunned him as a result of he had by no means met, corresponded, or spoken at the telephone to Mr Sewell.”Clearly it is tough to listen to however it is not one thing that I did not be expecting.,” he added. “I feel we are all realists and we knew there used to be some more or less conspiracy beneath there and it is been laid out for all to look.”Fujitsu evolved the Horizon device utilized by the Submit Place of job which used to be later discovered to be inaccurate and incorrectly made it seem like cash used to be lacking from branches. Greater than 900 sub-postmasters and postmistresses have been prosecuted for robbery and false accounting from 1999 to 2015 in response to Horizon proof.It’s been described as the United Kingdom’s maximum standard miscarriage of justice.Mr Castleton’s department used to be discovered to have a £25,000 shortfall and he used to be therefore suspended following an audit virtually twenty years in the past. The Submit Place of job spent two years and £320,000 pursuing him for the lacking cash in the course of the civil courts.Video caption, Watch: I am truly, truly indignant – postmaster will get emotionalThe inquiry taking a look into the scandal heard that Mr Sewell gave the impression to give phrases of encouragement in an electronic mail trade along with his colleague, IT safety analyst Andrew Dunks, forward of felony court cases beginning towards Mr Castleton, who ran a Submit Place of job in East Yorkshire.The e-mail mentioned: “See you in courtroom then. “Fetters lane is the place they used to hold folks out to dry. I do not think that form of factor occurs to any extent further although.”That Castleton is an uncongenial chap and will probably be all out to garbage the FJ (Fujitsu) identify. It is as much as you to care for absolute energy and integrity it doesn’t matter what the prosecution throw at you.”We can all be in the back of you hoping you come back via unscathed. Bless you.”Mr Dunks answered: “Thanks for the ones very sort and inspiring phrases. I needed to pause midway via studying it to wipe away a small tear…”Julian Blake, recommend to the inquiry, puzzled Mr Sewell concerning the electronic mail and requested if that used to be “standard of the option to the paintings that you just have been doing?””No, no – I have no idea why that used to be written,” Mr Sewell answered. “I have no idea, I have no idea why I wrote it. I apologise.”The Fujitsu supervisor later admitted “all of us give protection to our personal firms” when pressed additional on whether or not he noticed it vital to give protection to the company’s recognition.Following Mr Sewell’s proof, Mr Castleton mentioned: “They got down to damage me, which they did, and it used to be groupthink – it wasn’t only one particular person. It used to be a gaggle of folks and it is a case of ‘sorry, now not sorry’ is not it?” Requested if he had a message for Mr Sewell, he answered: “I’m hoping you might have as many sleepless nights as I’ve.”The newest revelation on the inquiry got here after Fujitsu instructed the federal government it’s going to now not bid for public contracts whilst court cases into the Submit Place of job scandal proceed.Minister Alex Burghart mentioned the era company had written to the Cupboard Place of job to tell it of its choice.The federal government has persisted to award billions of kilos value of public contracts to Fujitsu even after details about the scandal involving Horizon emerged. The Submit Place of job, which is wholly owned via the federal government, nonetheless makes use of Horizon and it paid Fujitsu £95m to increase the machine for an extra two years after plans to transport to Amazon have been deserted.Mr Burghart instructed the Area of Commons on Thursday: “This morning (the) Cupboard Place of job gained a letter from Fujitsu voluntarily endeavor to not bid for presidency contracts while the inquiry is ongoing, except after all the federal government ask them to.” He made the commentary after former cupboard minister Sir David Davis requested that businesses equivalent to Fujitsu be blocked from bidding for presidency contracts as a result of “horrible observe data”.The newspaper mentioned that executive legal professionals mentioned it might now not be imaginable legally to discriminate towards corporations in response to their observe report. However Sir David instructed the Area of Commons: “Govt legal professionals recommended this may now not be executed. They are fallacious.”He requested: “So will the federal government give additional critical idea to blockading massive firms like Fujitsu with horrible observe data from bidding for long run contracts? And if completely vital legislate accordingly?”At that time, Mr Burghart introduced that Fujitsu had voluntarily stepped again from bidding for long run executive contracts.He mentioned that the Submit Place of job knew about “insects and mistakes” within the Horizon device early on. On the other hand, the Submit Place of job carried on with the prosecutions.At a listening to sooner than MPs, Mr Patterson additionally mentioned that Fujitsu had a “ethical legal responsibility” to give a contribution to repayment for sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted because of its inaccurate device.On Thursday, Fujitsu Team, which is primarily based in Japan, mentioned that it might “be running with the United Kingdom executive at the suitable movements, together with contribution to repayment”.”The Fujitsu Team hopes for a swift solution that guarantees a simply result for the sufferers,” it added.
