Fujitsu, a Japanese technology company at the epicentre of the Post Office Horizon scandal, faces intensifying pressure from Parliament to make 'immediate' payments to victims. The Business and Trade Committee has issued a stark warning: "Justice delayed is justice denied" for hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted and imprisoned due to the flaws in Horizon accounting software.
The Horizon scandal, widely regarded as Britain's worst miscarriage of justice, saw hundreds of Post Office branch operators wrongly prosecuted, bankrupted, and imprisoned. Despite admitting knowledge of system faults since the 1990s, Fujitsu has yet to contribute to the estimated £1.5 billion compensation bill, which is currently being met by UK taxpayers. The company is reportedly negotiating a settlement with the government, but no concrete commitment on scale or timetable has been made.
Labour MP Liam Byrne, chair of the Business and Trade Committee, stressed the unacceptable delays in redress, stating: "Years after this scandal was exposed, far too many people are still waiting for the compensation they deserve." He urged the government to allocate resources needed to settle outstanding claims by the end of this year.
The public inquiry into the scandal has previously highlighted issues with the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), where initial offers were often overturned and increased upon appeal. The second part of Sir Wyn Williams' report is still awaited, which will examine the flaws in the Horizon system, cultures within the Post Office and Fujitsu, and mechanisms of wrongful prosecutions.
The pressure on Fujitsu comes amidst news of its chairman's resignation following revelations of "woman-related inappropriate conduct." A spokesperson stated that contributing to compensation is the right thing to do, and this will be agreed with the government after Sir Wyn's findings are published. A government spokesperson acknowledged progress but stressed there is more work to be done to deliver full and fair redress.