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☆ 'I was too trusting': Ex-Post Office boss apologizes after widespread miscarriage of justice in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Post Office Limited Paula Vennells (C) arrives to give evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, in central London, on May 22, 2024. The scandal has been described at an ongoing public inquiry as "the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history". The Post Office took 700 people to court between 1999 and 2015 based on faulty evidence resulting from central I.T. Questions remain over what Vennells and other executives knew, all while the Post Office continued to push for sub-postmaster prosecutions. Vennells joined at a time when the Post Office was losing significant amounts of money and was under pressure to improve its financial performance.

Persons: Paula Vennells, Vennells, Martin Griffiths Organizations: Post, Britain's, Fujitsu, Post Office Locations: London, I.T

☆ 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' — the TV drama that shook Britain — comes to PBS
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" had a remarkable impact after airing in Britain and now comes to PBS. Jo Hamilton, who ran the Village Shop and Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was wrongly convicted of theft in the Post Office Horizon scandal. ITVThe program focused on Alan Bates, who along with his partner invested in a post office store in Wales in 1998. Why did the Post Office — which has been owned by the government since 2012 – continue to prosecute people when there were doubts about the software? Advertisement"Mr Bates vs the Post Office" is being broadcast on PBS weekly from Sunday April 7.

Persons: Mr Bates, —, Rishi Sunak, Seema Misra, Peter Huxham, Martin Griffiths, Julian Wilson, Jo Hamilton, Adrian Dennis, Toby Jones, who's, Harry Potter, Alan Bates, Bates, wasn't, John Beer of, –, Kevin Hollinrake, Gwyneth Hughes, Innocent, Paula Vennells, Vennells, it's, James Strong, we'd, Polly Hill Organizations: PBS, Service, ITV, of, Post, Japan's Fujitsu, Office, Getty, Journalists, Computer, BBC, Post Office, Guardian, Fujitsu, Financial Times, subpostmasters, Channel Locations: Britain, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, South Warnborough, Hampshire, AFP, Wales, John Beer of Farnham, Surrey

☆ Fujitsu role in Britain's Post Office scandal could have severe reputational consequences, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

(Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) Tolga Akmen | Afp | Getty ImagesLONDON — Fujitsu 's role in the U.K. Post Office scandal, dubbed the "most widespread miscarriage of justice" in British history, has analysts wary of what the fallout could look like for the Japanese IT giant. Between 1999 and 2015, a fault with the company's Horizon computer software used by the Post Office, a state-owned private company employing thousands of people across the country, resulted in more than 700 sub-postmasters being subjected to false prosecutions. watch nowIn a statement Thursday, Fujitsu said it regards the matter with the "utmost seriousness and offers its deepest apologies to the sub-postmasters and their families." "Based on the findings of the Inquiry, we will also be working with the UK government on the appropriate actions, including contribution to compensation." A spokesperson for Fujitsu wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Persons: Tolga Akmen, TOLGA AKMEN, Akmen, postmasters, Paul Patterson, Patterson, Fujitsu Tim Morse, —, CNBC's, Mio Kato Organizations: subpostmasters, of Justice, Appeal, Getty, Afp, Fujitsu, Post Office, Post, Business, Trade, Asymmetric Advisors, CNBC, Fujitsu wasn't, Treasury, Fujitsu —, ICL, Tokyo Stock Exchange, LightStream Locations: London, AFP, U.K, Japan

☆ Fujitsu shares drop nearly 4% as its Europe chief says compensating Post Office victims is a 'moral obligation'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This case received new public attention this year when ITV broadcast a drama series, "Mr Bates vs The Post Office," about the sub-postmasters fight for justice. Horizon was manufactured by Fujitsu in 1999 and rolled out across Post Office branches to manage financial transactions. "We did have bugs and errors in the system and we did help the Post Office in their prosecutions of the sub-postmasters," he told the committee. The government has set aside 1 billion pounds in compensation for victims of the Post Office scandal. And the role of the post office has been well known in these court prosecutions, but Fujitsu for some reason had been rarely mentioned in the press."

Persons: Paul Patterson, Mr Bates, Patterson, Timothy Morse Organizations: Fujitsu Services, Business, Trade, Nikkei, Fujitsu, IT, Post, ITV, of Commons Business, Trade Committee, Government Locations: Europe, London

☆ Fujitsu admits it should compensate postal workers whose lives were ruined by its faulty software
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Japanese technology company Fujitsu has a “moral obligation” to compensate the victims of Britain’s Post Office scandal, the boss of its European arm said Tuesday. “We did have bugs and errors in the system and we did help the Post Office in their prosecutions of the sub-postmasters,” Peter Patterson, Fujitsu’s director for Europe, said Tuesday. “I think there is a moral obligation for the company to contribute,” Patterson told UK lawmakers during a public hearing. Nick Read, CEO of the Post Office, who also addressed lawmakers Tuesday, said he was “committed” to abandoning Horizon. The corporation still uses the IT system, but in a newer iteration than the one involved in the scandal.

Persons: —, “, ” Peter Patterson, ” Patterson, Patterson, ”, Rishi Sunak, Nick Read, ” Read Organizations: London CNN, Fujitsu, Britain’s Post, Office, Post, CNN, Post Office, British Locations: Britain’s, Europe, ”

Read said the Post Office has drastically changed over the past few years and has earmarked around a billion pounds ($1.3 billion) for compensation. He also confirmed it would not pursue any further prosecutions and that it is actively looking to replace the much-altered Horizon system in its branches. The Post Office maintained that Horizon was reliable and accused branch managers of dishonesty. The number of victims is not fully known, and it emerged Tuesday that hundreds more may have been financially affected by the faulty computer system. A group of postal workers took legal action against the Post Office in 2016.

Persons: Paul Patterson, “, ”, Patterson, Nick Read, Read, Rishi Sunak, Mr, Bates, Alan Bates, Toby Jones, “ It’s, Jo Hamilton, Neil Hudgell Organizations: Fujitsu, Fujitsu Ltd, Post, Post Office, Parliament's Business, Trade, Court, ITV Locations: Europe, Japan, London

☆ UK postal scandal: How a software glitch and a centuries-old British company ruined peoples lives
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The government — which owns the Post Office — has described the scandal as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. The software regularly showed that money — often many thousands of pounds — had gone missing from Post Office accounts. The Post Office has so far paid more than £138 million ($176 million) in compensation, a company spokesperson told CNN. “The Horizon system was a piece of machinery and software that wasn’t working correctly,” she said. “If the Post Office can do this to you, then God knows what any other brand is capable of,” she said.

Persons: —, Jo Hamilton, Hamilton, ”, Mr Bates, ’, Alan Bates, Rishi Sunak, ‘, Jonathan Wells, Wendy Buffrey’s Horizon, “, I’d, Buffrey, “ I’ve, Neil Hudgell, Martin Griffith, they’ve, Leon Neal, James Hartley, Siema Kamran, Kamran Ashraf, Ashraf, Kamran, ” Siema Kamran Organizations: London CNN, UK Post, Fujitsu, CNN, Post, ITV, Horizon, of Justice, Office, Cheltenham, Metropolitan Police, Getty, Post Office Locations: Britain, England, Hamilton, British, London, Buffrey, Bracknell , England, Freeths, Cheltenham

☆ Suicides, jail, and wrongful convictions — but it took the TV drama 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' to bring them justice
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Chris Johnston | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Martin Griffiths, 59, jumped in front of a bus in 2013 after being falsely accused of theft at his post office branch in Ellesmere Port, near Liverpool. Jo Hamilton, who ran the Village Shop and Post Office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, was wrongly convicted of theft in the Post Office Horizon scandal. ITVThe program focused on Alan Bates, who along with his partner invested in a post office store in Wales in 1998. Why did the Post Office — which has been owned by the government since 2012 – continue to prosecute people when there were doubts about the software? "Mr Bates vs the Post Office" is available in the UK on ITVX.

Persons: It's, Mr Bates, Rishi Sunak, Seema Misra, Peter Huxham, Martin Griffiths, Julian Wilson, Jo Hamilton, Adrian Dennis, Toby Jones, who's, Harry Potter, Alan Bates, Bates, wasn't, John Beer of, —, –, Kevin Hollinrake, Gwyneth Hughes, Innocent, Paula Vennells, Vennells, it's, James Strong, we'd, Polly Hill Organizations: Service, Business, ITV, Post, of, Japan's Fujitsu, Office, Getty, Journalists, Computer, BBC, Post Office, Guardian, Fujitsu, Financial Times, subpostmasters Locations: Britain, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, South Warnborough, Hampshire, AFP, Wales, John Beer of Farnham, Surrey

☆ Cooling job market doesn't take the heat off the holiday hiring spree
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Retailers are entering the holiday season amid a swirl of mixed economic signals. That leaves companies expecting another busy shopping season as they continue to grapple with a competitive job market. Before the holiday hiring rush, retailers were already looking to fill 800,000 open positions, according to the retail federation. There are some signs though that the labor market is starting to shift in employers' favor. "This speed is imperative during holiday hiring," John Patterson, Macy’s vice president of talent, said in an email.

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