DPS Computing

Sir Wyn Williams, chair of the Post Office Inquiry now brings Phase 4 to a close with his final statement. He outlines what has been heard in prior phases and the continued need for Post Office and other involved reporting organisations to make the full disclosure of all relevant materials that the Post Office Inquiry is still waiting for. He goes on to provide updates on Phases 5 and 6 including some necessary changes to ensure an efficient conclusion to the Post Office Inquiry currently scheduled for the 30th September 2024. He also outlines an important update surrounding compensation for subpostmasters. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #SirWyn

Post Office 'Didn't Understand its Duties' as a specialist reporting organisation or the responsibilities they had as Livingstone Brown, solicitors for some of the affected Scottish subpostmasters deliver their closing statement to Phase 4 of the Post Office Inquiry. He highlights the legal differences in Scotland that should have protected subpostmasters there from the abuse of process by the Post Office but how these were ineffective in the face of flawed culture and investigations at the Post Office. He highlights the case of his client, Susan Sinclair, who had to wait until 2023 for her appeal to be heard. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #LivingstonBrown

Post Office Witnesses were 'Shockingly Incoherent' according to the NFSP in the summing up of their closing statement to Phase 4 of the Post Office Inquiry. They highlight failings at the Post Office to this present day throughout the Post Office Scandal including the testimony of Post Office employees, past and present. The language used about subpostmasters by the Post Office in internal communications is also laid out to demonstrate a culture in place at the Post Office that prioritised prosecutions over everything. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #NFSP

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh tells the Post Office Inquiry that Scrutinising OWN Work was 'next to impossible' as he suffered with an 'unmanageable' workload as the senior lawyer within the Criminal Law Team at the Post Office. Jason Beer KC puts to Jarnail Singh that he didn't write the factual summary of Seema Misra's case as it wasn't littered with spelling and grammatical errors. Despite previously saying that he wasn't at the Post Office Inquiry to 'name names' he seems happy to identify some of the contributors to the summary and describes it as a 'team effort'. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh was told by the Post Office Public Relations department that his language was 'too emotive' as he trotted out the now infamous 'Horizon bashing bandwagon' email 4 years after it was originally written in response to a request for help with a press release relating to the Seema Misra case. He is then encouraged to 'stick to the facts', which he has previously claimed that he would prefer to do despite persistently repeating that subpostmasters were 'jumping on a passing bandwagon' in relation to using Horizon issues as a defence in their prosecutions by the Post Office. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Barrister Richard Morgan KC explains he was CONCERNED that Horizon Data Could Be Tampered With and is shown a note sharing similar concerns from Stephen Dilley, his instructing solicitor at the time. The Lee Castleton case was pursued with the intention of avoiding Horizon data if at all necessary - was this due to concerns over the integrity of Horizon or due to other reasons? Richard Morgan KC explains that the lack of error notices produced means that the paper documentation and Horizon input is likely to match and equates this to accurate output being produced. But did the bugs, errors and defects now known to be in Horizon mean this was the case? #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive #StephenDilly

Post Office Barrister Richard Morgan KC AGGRESSIVELY Accused SPM Lee Castleton of 'making figures up' at trial as he testifies to the Post Office Inquiry. He explains multiple times in his witness statement that it was hard to prove Horizon was working but denies that the Post Office ever confirmed that they were having problems with Fujitsu Horizon. Despite this, he said that it made sense to not rely on Horizon evidence as it didn't even prove a loss had occurred - merely proving that 'a machine' had done 'a calculation' and come to a figure and that different evidence was required to prove a loss had occurred at a Post Office. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive

Post Office Barrister AVOIDED Horizon for an 'easy' case he explains to the Post Office Inquiry insisting avoiding 'Horizon produced evidence' would make things more straightforward. Jason Beer KC asks about his approach to Lee Castleton's case - the case Richard Morgan KC identifies that he had involvement in that led to 'significant' action and says that it was easier to adjust the case to rely on documentation that was signed by a subpostmaster rather than the 'impossible' task of proving that Horizon errors hadn't contributed to the issues faced by subpostmasters. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive

Post Office Barrister FIRMLY Disagrees with the definition of a 'Horizon produced document' definition with Jason Beer KC as they discuss the documentation from Lee Castleton's case at the Marine Drive Post Office. He disputes that Lee Castleton said the documents were inaccurate, despite his numerous logged calls to the helpline saying precisely that saying that once he signed a document produced by Horizon it 'became his document'. Richard Morgan KC attempts to explain the position that losses could be proved without Horizon produced documentation, despite the fact that some of the 'primary documentation' he references has precisely come from the Horizon system. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive

Post Office Barrister Richard Morgan KC answers questions from Jason Beer KC about an attendance note created at a meeting involving him and Post Office lawyers and General Counsel at the Post Office Inquiry. The attendance note suggests that the Post Office 'discuss with MPs privately' any cases that they are 'interested in' in an attempt to get to the bottom of any issues they are having with the Fujitsu Horizon system. There is also a suggestion that a 'PR exercise' is carried out to make the Post Office look good and placate subpostmasters by asking them to share their feedback on Horizon with the Post Office and any issues they have faced. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC

Post Office Barrister Richard Morgan KC is Notified that Horizon is 'LOSING Transactions' by his instructing solicitor Stephen Dilley at Bond Pearce in evidence shown to the Post Office Inquiry. Richard Morgan KC previously asks a pertinent question to the Post Office recorded in an attendance note of a telephone conversation where he asks if there have been any other Horizon cases brought where the subpostmaster has questioned to operation of Horizon. This is another question that he doesn't recall getting an answer to and indeed no answer is ever logged. Despite this, and saying he wanted to be aware so he could perform 'risk management' on Lee Castleton's case he proceeds without an answer and the Post Office doesn't make him aware of any specific issues with Horizon. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive

Post Office Barrister Richard Morgan KC Compares Post Office Case against Lee Castleton to a 'Second Hand Car' as he testifies to the Post Office Inquiry. He tells Jason Beer KC that had he known about unaudited and unauditable remote access by Fujitsu to Horizon that he 'thinks' he would have been uncomfortable acting in the face of such adverse information for their case. He says he would have 'kicked the tyres more' to ensure that he was comfortable with the case he was brining forward on behalf of the Post Office. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #PostOfficeBarrister #RichardMorganKC #LeeCastleton #MarineDrive

Former Post Office Chair Henry Staunton INSISTS he was told to STALL subpostmasters compensation after an initial meeting with Sarah Munby of the Civil Service shortly after his appointment in January 2023. Henry Staunton outlines how he said there were three main expenditures for the Post Office including the Post Office Inquiry, the replacement of Fujitsu Horizon and the compensation for subpostmasters. He's said that despite this he was told money was tight by Sarah Munby and there was no additional money available from the Treasury. #PostOfficeScandal #SelectCommittee #PostOfficeInquiry #HenryStaunton #SarahMunby #KemiBadenoch

Post Office issued a stay for ABUSE of process in the prosecution of Seema Misra and this is shown to Jarnail Singh at the Post Office Inquiry for comment as he concludes his evidence to Phase 4. Jarnail Singh comments that this took place a long time ago and the stay for abuse of process highlights the 'contradictory statements' in the defence statement served from Gareth Jenkins relating to audit data that needs to be requested that they felt they have already requested by this point. Jarnail Singh says that he feels some of these events happened much later based on his recollection of events from the time. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh asked what power he had to issue CAUTIONS by Jason Beer KC at the Post Office Inquiry. Jarnail Singh goes on to reference the Code of Practice for Crown Prosecutors which doesn't cover cautions. He is also unsure if there was a statutory basis for the Post Office issuing cautions and whether the Post Office had any policies and guidance on the issuing of cautions upon which he is unsure. He does highlight several factors that would influence whether a caution, rather than a prosecution, would be sought by the Post Office including a 'full and frank admission' of the allegations. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh's OWN Solicitor STOPS the Post Office Inquiry when she insists that they haven't been provided a copy of the evidence that shows Jarnail Singh DID conclude a prosecution of a subpostmaster would deter other subpostmasters from 'offending' after he had denied it and said that all cases would be decided on their merits. Jarnail Singh said he would consider the evidence and the public interest and, whilst that can be seen in the evidence shown at the Post Office Inquiry it also shows his conclusions that state such a prosecution would act as a 'deterrent effect' to others. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office REFUSED Audit Data Request from Defence Solicitors for a subpostmasters Due To Time and Cost it is revealed at the Post Office Inquiry when Jason Beer KC questions Jarnail Singh about a letter he wrote regarding Seema Misra's case. Jarnail Singh concedes that neither time nor cost were valid reasons not to seek audit data in the Post Office's prosecution of subpostmasters and indeed Jarnail Singh was advised by both the Defence, the Head of Legal at Fujitsu and their star expert witness Gareth Jenkins to collect the data to avoid 'speculation'. This advice never appears to have been acted upon. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh admits Jason Beer KC's suggestion that he was 'just a postbox' by being a 'point of contact' for Cartwright King after subposmaster prosecutions were handed over to them in 2012. Jarnail Singh denies having any oversight of Cartwright King despite being the only criminal lawyer at the Post Office at the time. He says that he was taken to deal with other work which Jason Beer suggests is 'Horizon fallout' after he mentions the Second Sight report as well as the mediation scheme - before later distancing himself somewhat from the much maligned subpostmaster mediation scheme aimed at satisfying demands from angered subpostmasters who had been understandably aggrieved by the allegations made against them. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh tells the Post Office Inquiry that nobody BELIEVED what we wrote as he distances himself from an email full of references to what 'I' did that he indeed sent himself describing the alleged 'dishonesty' of subpostmasters and giving the reason that 'they didn't seem to be leading luxurious lifestyles' as they were 'propping up their failing shop businesses' with the money the Post Office alleged was being stolen due to the faulty Fujitsu Horizon system. He says that the contents of the email both were and were not the view of the Criminal Law Team at the Post Office! #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh is brought in on an interview request from journalist Nick Wallice for a piece on the BBC One Show in 2014 reporting on the Post Office Scandal to provide robust lines for damage control. Jarnail Singh seems to be infuriated by being hounded for answers to questions and this leads to a fiery exchange with Jason Beer KC telling him to answer the questions and that he is not in charge at the Post Office Inquiry. Post Office are suggesting a robust defence of the Horizon system is undertaken and that there should be doubt thrown on 'specialists commenting from the sidelines'. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh #BBC #BBCOne #BBCOneShow #OneShow

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh is UNSURE if he was Head of Criminal Law at the Post Office as he drops the 'Head of Legal' into conversation. Jarnail Singh says that people might have viewed it that way as he was the only criminal lawyer before indeed suggesting that he was the Head of Criminal Law Team at the Post Office after he 'saw an opportunity' and visited Cartwright King after Rob Wilson allegedly was wanted for the role and pulled out last minute. So was Jarnail Singh the Head of Criminal Law and the Post Office? #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh outlines the 'Top 5 Matters' in his Criminal Law Team at the Post Office in 2014 to the Post Office Inquiry including some concern about the then ongoing Second Sight report and the raising of the threshold to £20k for prosecuting subpostmasters. He mentions that he 'envisages' counter fraud intiatives and 'early intervention' marking a 'shift in Post Office prosecution policy'. So after his comments, why does there seem to have been no such substantial shift in Post Office prosecution policy until 2019 when the Post Office stopped prosecuting subpostmasters for alleged Horizon shortfalls? #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh characterises subpostmasters claims about Horizon Bugs during their prosecutions were a 'desperate DISTRACTION technique' deployed after 'their original defences had failed'. When asked about these claims Jarnail Singh says that this was never his view and that it was a 'team effort' with 'many contributors' to the summary he provided of the Seema Misra case. He tells the Post Office Inquiry that he would have simply been too busy to write a summary of the case and admits that he 'doesn't do some things well' so would have sought input from the wider Post Office team. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh

Post Office Lawyer DENIES His OWN 'Wild Speculation' about an unnamed subpostmaster speaking to journalist Nick Wallis as someone who had said one thing under caution and then is now 'purposefully misrepresenting the facts' in his response internally at the Post Office to an interview request from the BBC One Show. Despite Jarnail Singh sending the email and beginning it 'my comments' he completely denies writing it saying that Cartwright King would have done so. When asked why there is no email trail of this he says that it was likely a conversation. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh #BBC #BBCOne #OneShow

Post Office Lawyer Jarnail Singh tells the Post Office Inquiry that he HOPED he received vital disclosure documents when deciding whether or not to prosecute subpostmasters during his time in the Criminal Law Team. Jarnail Singh says he's not sure about prosecution policies at the Post Office and followed the Crown Prosecutor's Code of Practice and says that he did decide that some cases 'were not in the public interest' due to the sums of money alleged in shortfalls and the health of the subpostmasters or their families. #PostOfficeInquiry #PostOfficeScandal #PostOffice #PostOfficeLegal #JarnailSingh