"Truth Revealed Through Drama"... The 'Post Office Scandal' That Bankrupted Hundreds in the UK

Criticism Grows Amid Drama's Popularity
Prime Minister Supports Cancellation of Post Office Chief Seo Hoon's Award

Recently, the so-called 'Post Office Scandal' has been gaining significant attention in the UK. Twenty-five years ago, hundreds of Post Office employees were wrongfully accused, with some imprisoned for theft. Yet, the fact that victims have still not been fully compensated was brought back into the spotlight through a drama.

On the 13th (local time), CNN reported that the recent airing of the TV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office has once again drawn public attention to the case. The drama focuses on the efforts of Post Office branch managers to prove their innocence and receive compensation.

On the 15th of last month, a post office sign was seen in London, UK. [Photo by EPA/ Yonhap News]

In 1999, the UK Post Office introduced an accounting software called 'Horizon,' developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu Services. Despite continuous accounting errors found in Horizon, the Post Office ignored them. As a result, from 1999 to 2015, over 700 branch managers and clerks were convicted of accounting fraud and theft. The UK Guardian reported that "hundreds were imprisoned or went bankrupt, and at least four committed suicide."

The case began to unravel in 2009 when the UK IT magazine Computer Weekly recognized errors in Horizon. Subsequently, around 500 victims initiated a class-action lawsuit, and it was not until 2019 that a ruling acknowledged "there were errors in the accounting system." According to the Guardian, only 93 convictions have been overturned, and only a small portion of compensation has been paid.

The drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, aired from the 1st to the 4th, includes these details and highlights that neither the Post Office nor Fujitsu took any responsibility. After the drama aired, about 50 more victims came forward.

So far, more than 2,700 people have applied for compensation. They are demanding not only compensation but also accountability from those involved in the case. The UK government announced that it is likely to pay compensation to victims following the release of an independent investigation report by Fujitsu on this scandal, expected this week. Fujitsu stated, "We are committed to finding out what happened."

Poster of the British TV drama 'Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office' aired from the 1st to the 4th. [Photo source=Screenshot from IMDb website]

CNN reported, "After the drama was released, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that Parliament would swiftly pass groundbreaking legislation to overturn the convictions of hundreds of sub-postmasters."

More than one million people signed an online petition demanding the revocation of the 'Commander of the Order of the British Empire' (CBE) awarded to Paula Vennells, the Post Office CEO at the time, in 2019. The CBE is the third rank among the five classes of the Order of the British Empire.

Victims and experts have argued that the UK Post Office should also be held accountable. Although the IT system caused the problems, it was ultimately the Post Office that pressured people into admitting guilt. James Hartley, a lawyer from the law firm Fritts, told CNN in an interview, "The blame for this incident should be directed at the Post Office," adding, "While the issue started with flaws in the IT system, there were serious problems with the Post Office's corporate behavior."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.