Post Office pursues criminal cases using Horizon data

In April 2024, the Post Office's investigations department attempted to utilize data from the Horizon IT system to bolster a criminal case involving a significant amount of money. Internal emails revealed that the Post Office considered itself a potential victim in this situation. John Bartlett, the head of investigations, reached out to Fujitsu, the company responsible for developing the Horizon software, requesting a witness statement to validate the reliability of the system. He indicated that without this statement, the case might be abandoned. The Horizon accounting scandal has been a contentious issue, with numerous postmasters previously wrongfully accused of theft and fraud due to errors in the software. The ongoing reliance on Horizon data raises questions about the integrity of the evidence being used in criminal cases. The Post Office's actions suggest a continued effort to pursue legal action against postmasters, despite the controversies surrounding the software's reliability. Fujitsu's involvement is critical, as their witness statement could either support or undermine the Post Office's position in these cases. The request for a statement highlights the ongoing struggle to reconcile the software's past failures with the current legal implications for postmasters. This situation underscores the broader implications of the Horizon scandal, which has affected many lives and continues to unfold in public inquiries. As the Post Office seeks to navigate these complex legal waters, the outcome of this case could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future. The reliance on potentially flawed data raises ethical concerns about the pursuit of justice and the treatment of individuals wrongfully accused based on that data.