confirm they are looking at ‘potential fraud offences’ committed during the Horizon Scan**l, which comes days after the drama .
More than 700 Post Office branch managers were accused of wrongdoing after faulty Fujitsu accounting software made it appear as though money was missing from their outlets.
The four-part series, released on New Year’s Day, told the real-life story of how dozens of innocent people were sent to jail for theft and fraud and others were driven to bankruptcy and suicide before a group () took the Post Office to the in a fight for justice.
Determined to prove his innocence, Alan, who in 2003 had possession of his Post Office in Craig-y-Don, north , spent years tracking down others who had also been accused of falsifying records and pocketing money from their businesses, whilst at the same time the Post Office was for theft, false accounting and fraud.
It was ruled in the High Court case that the missing money was the fault of computer errors and the Post Office was ordered to pay £58million in compensation for the false prosecutions. However, after their legal costs were paid, the group were left with only £12million, which totalled around £20,000 each, far less than some had lost.
Yard said on Friday evening officers were ‘investigating potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions’, for example, ‘monies recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions’.
The force also said in the statement: ‘The Met is investigating potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
‘These potential offences arise out of investigations and prosecutions carried out by the Post Office.
‘The investigation was launched in January 2020 following a referral from the DPP.
‘Two people have been interviewed under caution. Nobody has been arrested.’
Many viewers have to discover what had previously been labelled one of the UK’s ‘biggest miscarriages of justice’, as well as details about how people were while trying to clear their names.
Support for a petition calling for ex- chief to be stripped of her CBE has also skyrocketed in recent days following the release of Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
Up until the start of this week, the petition had around 1000 signatures, within days,
In 2020, the government initiated an independent inquiry, which was then converted to a public one the following year, looking into whether the Post Office and software supplier Fujitsu knew about the faults in the IT system.
It was intended to be completed a few months ago but is still ongoing.
says in the documentary Mr Bates vs the Post Office: The Real Story that he is not finished with his fight against the Post Office.
Mr Bates vs The Post Office is available to watch on ITVX
