Forensic accountants appointed to pore over Post Office IT scandal

The UK's Criminal Cases Review Commission has confirmed that it has appointed a firm of forensic accountants to assist its investigation into whether sub-postmasters were wrongfully prosecuted due to issues affecting the Post Office's Horizon IT system. The CCRC is investigating 27 similar cases in which sub-postmasters allege …

[kain preacher]

The system is broken

Shut up

The system is brown shut up

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN.

Send the coppers around to shut him up.

[Bruce Ordway]

pore

...pore as in “to read or study attentively"

My spelling seems to be getting worse with each new year.

This morning I would have used "pour".

[CrazyOldCatMan]

Re: pore

...pore as in “to read or study attentively"

As opposed to "small openings in a surface"..

English - confusing natives and foreigners alike since about 1550. Although I suspect that Old and Middle English had their own confusions too. But at least they hadn't borged *quite* as much foreign words, phrases and grammar as modern English.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: pore

Ah but in the US English is getting it's revenge as we are messing with a Spanish. Both in the US and the rest of Latin American. On boarder towns do you spell the Spanish word like Spanish or like English. Screw lets use a mixture. Oh and gets worse when you have native Spanish speakers that can only read and write in English.

[Anonymous Coward]

And then....

when it is all resolved, could we have the CEO, CFO, CIO and chief legal officer of the post office, plus some folks from their IT contractors in court on perjury charges, please?

that is all, thank you.

[John G Imrie]

Re: And then....

Can we have them in court for malicious prosecution as well

[Cynic_999]

Makes a change

Most companies blame the computer for a human fuck-up rather than blaming humans for a computer fuck-up.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Makes a change

Funny as that may sound, people have been jailed and others committed suicide over this, despite the PO knowing full well that the system is a POS.

The PO commissioned their own investigation, thinking it would clear them - as they werent going to give them all the info; yet even with the limited access that team had, they could see quite clearly that the PO were shafting people using a seriously flawed computer system.

Yeah, criminal charges against the suits; never going to happen, but it should.

[handleoclast]

Re: despite the PO knowing full well that the system is a POS.

Obviously, when the PHBs read the report calling the system a POS they thought it meant "Post Office System" and that there was nothing to worry about.

[John Smith 19]

Remember phantom withdrawls and the banks saying they couldn't happen?

Anyone else smelling a similar whiff off this?

[Stevie]

Bah!

Who wrote the code?

Who reviewed the code?

Who signed off on the QA testing?

[Anonymous Coward]

Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA)

'While working for the Post Office did you experience transaction problems in your branch due to the Horizon system? Were you required by the Post Office Ltd to cover the alleged shortfall? Did the Post Office take action against you either because of transaction problems or other alleged failures by you?' link

[Anonymous Coward]

Post Office Horizon system 'cost me my job and reputation'

"A former postmistress has vowed to fight to her dying breath to clear her name - claiming a new computer system cost her job and reputation." link

[Anonymous Coward]

I find it hard to believe

that suddenly 27 postmasters were suddenly discovered to be committing fraud.

Maybe 2 or 3, but that number seems to ring an alarm bell that something else is wrong. Those guys have to write up absolutely everything (it is arcane but effective).

The apparent reluctance to cooperate with enquiries also suggests that the defences are being put up in the event the Horizon system is proven to be the cause. This stinks, frankly. If they are indeed in the wrong I would hope some very significant payouts are made.

And with my 30 years experience in the business, I KNOW computers are not always right. Those that believe otherwise will be following their satnav's off cliffs and along railway lines...

[Anonymous Coward]

No "systemic" problems

To me "No systemic problems" reads - we have issues but they are not 100% repeatable every time.

I reckon there will be issues that the system reports something as saved when its actually failed, refunds etc.

Or they have a process that rounds up pennies badly for VAT.

[kain preacher]

Well some has to take the blame. It's not going to be the PHB or the C suits,. So lets gas up the people that can not fight back. I wounder what would happen if a large portion of the sub post masters just quit?

[Mike Shepherd]

Audit trail?

I have no experience in writing accounting software, but surely a basic need is an audit trail (journal of transactions) so that any fault can be found easily? At the end of each day, does the Post Office system really just say "You owe us xxx"?

[miket82]

So, who runs this?

No doubt the CEO, and others, take large salaries but have no responsibilities or accountability for anything other than ensuring their salaries (and bonuses) are paid on time. Can I have some, please.