19 January 2024 , 11:56
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A boss at the software firm at the centre of the Post Office scandal has admitted he's aware of witness statements being edited to remove references to known bugs.
Fujitsu European boss Paul Patterson, admitted it was "shameful" and "appalling" that the firm didn't acknowledge faults with the Horizon IT system. He was told to explain why "bugs, errors and defects" didn't find their way into witness statements to the Post Office used to prosecute sub-postmasters.
He told the inquiry into the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters: "On a personal level, I'm surprised that that detail was not included in the witness statements given by Fujitsu staff to the Post Office and I've seen some evidence of, of editing of witness statements by by others."
He admitted it was "shameful" and "appalling". Mr Patterson said bugs, errors and defects in the Horizon IT system were known about by "all parties" and have been known for "many, many years".
Counsel to the inquiry Jason Beer KC has asked him: "You know, I think that Fujitsu employees provided witness statements to the Post Office for the purposes of the prosecution of subpostmasters. And that speaking in general terms, these bugs, errors and defects did not find their way into those witness statements."
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Mr Patterson said he didn't know why this had happened. In another exchange, Mr Beer pressed him on how much the company knew about faults with the Horizon system.
He said: "From Fujitsu's perspective, is this right, as a company for the last couple of years, it has known of the existence of these bugs, errors and defects at a corporate level?" Mr Patterson responded: "Yes. In fact all the bugs and errors have been known on one level, or not, for many, many years. Right from the very start of the deployment of this system there were bugs and errors and defects which were well known to all parties."
Mr Patterson was later interrogated about other Fujitsu staff revealing to the inquiry earlier this week that the firm filtered data given to the Post Office, which “meant that some relevant data may not have been provided”. Asked by Mr Beer whether the witness statements from Fujitsu “give the impression that all the raw data… has been extracted and provided to the Post Office, the Fujitsu director replied: "Yes, it does."
Mr Beer continued: "Whereas in fact there's a step in the process that's not been revealed to the subpostmaster or the court." "Mr Patterson replied: "Agreed." The counsel to the inquiry went on: "So if the evidence that we've heard from Fujitsu witnesses this week is correct, then a witness statement that followed the template and didn't mention the filtering out exercise, would mean that the witness statement was false and misleading by omission, wouldn't it?"
Mr Patterson said: "I think the witness statement generally needed to be more comprehensive and it absolutely missed those points you've just alluded to and it would be misleading."
Reiterating his apology to subpostmasters as he gave evidence to the probe on Friday, Mr Patterson said: "To the subpostmasters and their families, we apologise. Fujitsu apologises and is sorry for our part in this appalling miscarriage of justice.
"This inquiry is examining those events forensically over many, many decades, which involve many parties, not least Fujitsu and the Post Office, but other organisations and individuals. We are determined to continue to support this inquiry and get to the truth wherever it lays and at the conclusion of the inquiry and the guidance from this inquiry, engage with Government on suitable contribution and redress to the subpostmasters and their families."
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 after Fujitsu's faulty Horizon IT system made it appear as though money was missing from their outlets.