Ex-Fujitsu Boss Reveals Horizon Talks at Post Office Meetings
- Michael Keegan confirmed he had four meetings with Paula Vennells during his time as chief executive of Fujitsu UK.
- Initial reports suggested he only met her once, but he clarified that two were face-to-face and two were phone calls.
- The meetings did not involve discussions about the Horizon IT system, highlighting the complexities of the relationship between Fujitsu and the Post Office.
In the UK, Michael Keegan, the former chief executive of Fujitsu UK, confirmed he had four meetings with Paula Vennells, the Post Office's chief executive from 2012 to 2019, during his tenure from May 2014 to June 2015. Initial reports suggested he only met her once, but he clarified that two meetings were face-to-face and two were phone calls. The Post Office, in response to a Freedom of Information request, found references to six meetings but could not verify their occurrence. Keegan's lawyers stated that two of these meetings did not happen and emphasized that discussions with Vennells did not involve the Horizon IT system, which was central to the Post Office scandal. The first meeting occurred shortly after Keegan's appointment, where he expressed the importance of the Post Office as a customer. Subsequent communications included a call after Fujitsu was approached by BBC Panorama regarding the Horizon investigation. This context highlights the complexities surrounding the relationship between Fujitsu and the Post Office, particularly in light of the flawed Horizon IT system that led to significant legal and financial repercussions for many Post Office employees.