NEWS STORY : Paul Patterson Gives Evidence to Post Office Inquiry

STORY

Paul Patterson, European boss of Fujitsu (the company that developed the Horizon IT system), gave evidence today to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in January 2024. His testimony was significant as it was the first time a senior Fujitsu executive had appeared before the inquiry. Patterson began by reiterating an apology to subpostmasters that he had previously made in a written statement and to Parliament. He acknowledged the harm caused by the Horizon system and expressed a desire to see those affected properly compensated.

However, much of his testimony focused on Fujitsu’s role in the scandal and its relationship with the Post Office. Patterson admitted that bugs, errors, and defects (BEDs) had existed in Horizon for “nearly two decades” and that the “vast majority” had been reported to the Post Office contemporaneously. He expressed “surprise” that details of these BEDs were not included in witness statements used in prosecutions against subpostmasters, stating that Fujitsu was unaware at the time how the Post Office was using the data provided.

Patterson also revealed a deep mistrust of the Post Office’s ability to investigate shortfalls, claiming they relied too heavily on Horizon data and failed to consider other potential causes. He stated “I absolutely don’t trust the Post Office” in this regard. Furthermore, Patterson criticised the Post Office’s culture, describing it as being in a “permanent state of stress” due to the Horizon system. He suggested this impacted the organisation’s ability to effectively address the issues arising from the faulty software