In a startling revelation, it has come to light that the Post Office issued bonuses tied to every Horizon conviction, with a chief’s damning email mocking innocent victims exposed.

Lead investigator Gary Thomas, testifying at the Post Office Horizon inquiry, disclosed that his inquiry into sub-postmasters was driven by “bonus objectives.” His investigation led to the wrongful conviction of Julian Wilson in 2008, a Worcestershire postmaster who tragically passed away from bowel cancer in 2016, five years before being cleared of the alleged £27,000 theft.

In a shocking 2015 email mocking victims, Thomas expressed a desire to disprove the existence of a “Case for the Justice of Thieving Subposters.” He went further, claiming, “We were the best Investigators they ever had, and they were all crooks!” Wilson’s widow, Karen, revealed that her husband had discussed suicide, and she asserted that the stress induced by his wrongful conviction contributed to his untimely death.

Thomas admitted the disgracefulness of his email and expressed embarrassment over presuming the guilt of the postmasters. Victim and campaigner Alan Bates condemned the “appalling” bonuses, stating, “The Post Office seems to have a bonus culture running right through it.”

This revelation comes on the heels of former Post Office boss Paula Vennells returning her CBE “with immediate effect” following public outrage over the Horizon IT scandal. The faulty Horizon accounting software falsely indicated missing money from Post Office branches nationwide, leading to the wrongful prosecution of numerous sub-postmasters, despite mounting evidence of their innocence.

Vennells, who headed the Post Office during its consistent denial of issues with the Horizon IT system, received a CBE in December 2018. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now pledged to exonerate all sub-postmasters and allocate £600,000 in compensation.