Monday, January 20, 2025
Monday January 20, 2025
Monday January 20, 2025

Former post office CEO Paula Vennells surrenders CBE amidst outcry over horizon it scandal

PUBLISHED ON

|

Public pressure leads to Vennells returning honor after ITV drama exposes post office’s horizon it scandal

In a dramatic turn of events, former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells has announced her decision to immediately hand back her Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award. The move comes in response to widespread public anger and a petition signed by 1.2 million people, demanding the revocation of her CBE following revelations about the Horizon IT scandal.

Vennells was awarded the CBE in 2019 for her services to the Post Office, despite the Horizon IT scandal causing severe repercussions for hundreds of workers. The scandal, involving faulty Fujitsu accounting software called Horizon, led to the wrongful conviction of up to 900 sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015. These convictions were later overturned due to the software’s errors, with some individuals facing financial ruin and imprisonment.

Vennells’ decision to return her CBE comes after increasing scrutiny, especially in the wake of an ITV drama that portrayed the harrowing experiences of sub-postmasters affected by the scandal. The former CEO expressed her commitment to cooperating with the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal and anticipates providing evidence under oath in the coming months.

In her written statement, Vennells stated, “I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.” She emphasized her focus on the ongoing inquiry and pledged not to make further public comments until its conclusion.

Jo Hamilton, a former wrongfully convicted subpostmistress, welcomed Vennells’ decision but remarked, “It’s a shame it took just a million people to cripple her conscience.” Hamilton highlighted the broader sentiment of frustration with issues of financial misconduct and the perceived lack of accountability.

The Horizon IT scandal has sparked calls for justice and accountability, with Members of Parliament (MPs) and peers urging the government to take decisive action. The Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, indicated that the government is actively considering legislation to quash the convictions of sub-postmasters involved in the scandal. The public inquiry will also determine the legal or financial accountability of IT firm Fujitsu if it is found culpable in the Horizon scandal.

The situation has put a spotlight on corporate responsibility and raised questions about the consequences for those involved in large-scale failures affecting individuals’ lives. As the public inquiry progresses, the government faces mounting pressure to address systemic issues and prevent similar injustices in the future.

346 COMMENTS

  1. I absolutely love your site.. Great colors & theme. Did you create this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my own blog and want to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Kudos!

  2. A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. There’s no doubt that that you should publish more about this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but typically folks don’t talk about these issues. To the next! All the best.

  3. Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a great article… but what can I say… I put things off a whole lot and never seem to get anything done.

  4. I have to thank you for the efforts you have put in penning this site. I really hope to see the same high-grade blog posts from you later on as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own website now 😉

  5. Can I simply say what a comfort to uncover someone that truly understands what they’re talking about on the internet. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people must read this and understand this side of your story. I can’t believe you’re not more popular given that you certainly have the gift.

  6. Greetings, There’s no doubt that your site could possibly be having web browser compatibility issues. Whenever I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, when opening in I.E., it’s got some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, wonderful website!

  7. Hi there! This post could not be written any better! Looking at this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have a very good read. Many thanks for sharing!

  8. Hi! I could have sworn I’ve visited this website before but after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely delighted I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back often.

  9. I seriously love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you build this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m planning to create my very own website and would like to know where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Kudos.

  10. Greetings, I believe your site might be having browser compatibility issues. Whenever I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however, if opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Aside from that, wonderful blog!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

Related articles