'Fujitsu boss lives on 'blood money' with £2m mansion while we suffer'

14 January 2024 , 07:46

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Seema Misra was sentenced to fifteen months' prison for theft and false accounting (Image: Philip Coburn /Daily Mirror)

A former sub-postmistress wrongly jailed in the Post Office’s Horizon scandal claims the boss of IT firm Fujitsu is “living on blood money” with a £2million mansion.

Seema Misra, 48, considered killing herself when she was sentenced to 15 months for theft and false accounting. All that stopped her was being eight weeks pregnant – and she later had to give birth wearing an electronic tag. She lost her flat after the Post Office sought to recover tens of thousands of pounds of supposed losses.

Meanwhile, Paul Patterson, chief executive of the European arm of Fujitsu, which developed the faulty Horizon IT system, owns a six-bed mansion in a well-heeled area. And the pad, which Land Registry papers show cost £2.35m in 2021, sits four miles from Mrs Misra’s former post office.

Misra as a sub-postmistress in the mid-2000s

Last night, the mum-of-two called for Fujitsu to compensate victims. She said: “So many people lost their life. I always say they haven’t lost their life, the Post Office and Fujitsu killed them, so they have blood on their hands. So many people who couldn’t see their name get to be cleared… this is like a blood money they’re living on.”

Mrs Misra, who moved to the UK from India when she was 18, was jailed in 2010. She pleaded guilty to false accounting but not to theft, but was convicted at Guildford crown court. Fujitsu, which has been handed bill-ions of pounds of Government con-tracts, sent a supposed expert witness.

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Mrs Misra, who was even threatened with deportation, said being imprisoned brought “shame” on her family and locals attacked her husband, Davinder. She had to claim benefits after prison and the family now live in a modest two-bed rented home. She said: “When I came out of prison, within a matter of months, the Post Office confiscated my property.”

Seema and husband Davinder (Philip Coburn /Daily Mirror)

Mrs Misra added of Mr Patterson, who has been with Fujitsu 14 years: “People should have big houses but from their own hard work, not on people’s blood, other people’s blood.”

Mrs Misra, who ran West Byfleet Post Office in Surrey, spoke after hit ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office sparked an outcry over one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Some of the 2,700 subpostmasters hit have taken their own lives, while others died before seeing justice. Only 93 of hundreds of convictions have been quashed.

Mrs Misra, who was accused of taking more than £74,000, had hers rescinded in 2021 but is yet to get full compensation. She said: “Fujitsu played a vital role, they sent their witness. So, 110% Fujitsu need to pay. Every person who’d been part of the scandal, they need to pay.” Mr Patterson, who is not accused of any personal wrongdoing, is due to be grilled by MPs next week as part of a statutory inquiry launched in 2020, along with Post Office boss Nick Read.

It was yesterday reported HMRC is probing the Post Office after experts claimed it may have underpaid more than £100m in tax after deducting victims’ payments from its profits.

Post Office Minister Kevin ­Hollinrake wants those behind the scandal jailed. Meanwhile, ex-deputy postmistress Yvonne Tracey has vowed to run against Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey in the general election, in protest over his former role as Post Office Minister.

Paul Patterson

And claims were reported last night that Theresa May ’s regime pushed through a CBE for Post Office ex-boss Paula Vennells despite concerns over the Horizon scandal raised in 2018 honours committee discussions.

A spokeswoman for Mrs May said: “As PM, Theresa May always respected the independence of [the honours] system but thinks it is right Paula Vennells handed back her CBE.”

The Post Office said: “We share fully the aims of the public inquiry to get to the truth of what went wrong and establish accountability. We are doing all we can to right the wrongs of the past. Offers of £138m have been made to 2,700 postmasters, the majority of which are agreed and paid.”

Fujitsu said: “Fujitsu has apologised for its role in [postmasters’] suffering. Fujitsu is fully committed to supporting the inquiry in order to understand what happened and to learn from it.”

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The Department for Business said it awaits the inquiry’s findings.

• For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

Simon Murphy