Post Office criminal trials may not start until 2028, says police chief

Ben KingBusiness reporterBBCCdr Stephen Clayman says he understands victims’ frustration at how lengthy the investigation is takingCriminal trials over the Publish Workplace Horizon IT scandal might not begin till 2028, the police officer main the investigation has instructed the BBC.”The groups must be actually meticulous and [pay] consideration to element, however truly we’re making some actual progress,” Met Cdr Stephen Clayman mentioned.The investigation has recognized seven suspects, and has 45 to 50 potential suspects in view. However it is not going to hand recordsdata to prosecutors till after the ultimate report from the general public inquiry into the scandal is printed, anticipated later this yr.Former sub-postmaster Tim Brentnall mentioned victims had been “determined to see some form of accountability”, however added the police ought to “do it correctly”.The Horizon IT system, which started working in 1999, falsely created shortfalls in Publish Workplace branches for which sub-postmasters had been held liable. Greater than 900 folks had been prosecuted, and a few went to jail. Some died whereas ready for justice.Final yr a legislation was handed to overturn these convictions en masse. The prison investigation into the scandal, Operation Olympos, started in 2020, and interviewed two suspects in 2021.It scaled up exercise after the general public section of the inquiry concluded in December final yr, and one other two folks had been interviewed beneath warning, the place their solutions can be utilized as proof in court docket. Each had been males of their 60s.Cdr Clayman mentioned the police began with “these on the entrance line – the Publish Workplace investigators, solicitors, those that had been concerned within the rapid decision-making”.However he added: “We’re starting to scope taking a look at wider administration. That may occur, and is occurring, it’s going to simply take time to get there.”He’s assured there will likely be prison trials, however admits that the primary ones might not begin till 2028.The chair of the general public inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, will publish Quantity 1 of his ultimate report on 8 July and is predicted to file Quantity 2 later this yr. Then the police must undergo it “meticulously”, hand recordsdata to the Crown Prosecution Service, and look forward to a court docket date, mentioned Cdr Clayman.”This is not unusual,” he mentioned. “Different massive investigations linked to a public inquiry have precisely the identical factor. And I actually do perceive the frustration for individuals who are on the centre of this, who’re the victims.”Tim Brentnall says “if the police need to take their time, they need to take their time”Former sub-postmaster Tim Brentnall from Roch, Pembrokeshire, was prosecuted in 2010 when a £22,500 shortfall was found at his department. His conviction was overturned in 2021. “The way in which the Publish Workplace prosecuted me was utterly and wholly improper, [I was] rushed in entrance of the courts like a rabbit within the headlights and instructed I used to be the one one on this place after I wasn’t,” he mentioned.”But when the police need to take their time, they need to take their time and do it correctly.”David Enright, a lawyer whose agency Howe and Co represented seven out of the ten sub-postmasters who took half within the inquiry, mentioned: “The actual fact is now we have seen sub-postmaster after sub-postmaster die with out ever seeing any true accountability. The query sub-postmasters ask themselves is: the place is the urgency on the coronary heart of the police investigation?”There are 108 officers engaged on Olympos, primarily based in 4 regional hubs. Cdr Clayman was talking on the Metropolitan Police’s hub close to the highest of a high-rise police workplace block in Sutton, South London.The officers spend a lot of their days trawling by way of the thousands and thousands of digitised paperwork which is able to make up a lot of the proof within the circumstances. They started with 1.5 million, and that’s set to rise to 6 million as extra paperwork come to gentle.Each power in England and Wales are concerned, as are the PSNI and Police Scotland.Cdr Clayman had earlier been essential of the Publish Workplace for not handing info over quick sufficient, however mentioned they had been now being “fairly good”. Fujitsu, he mentioned, had been being “very co-operative”.A Publish Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “The Publish Workplace has co-operated totally and overtly with the Metropolitan Police since early 2020 to offer no matter info it wants for its investigations, and we proceed to take action.”Get our flagship publication with all of the headlines it is advisable begin the day. Join right here.