The United Kingdom government, on Saturday (Jan 27), said that the Post Office chairman Henry Staunton has been dismissed as the state-owned entity reels from the decades-long Horizon IT scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in the country’s history.&nbsp;

<h2>What happened?</h2>

UK’s Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told Staunton that he will be replaced over the weekend, according to British media reports. The business secretary and post office chairman have “agreed to part ways with mutual consent,” said a government spokesperson, in a statement, on Saturday.&nbsp;

“The Post Office is rightfully under a heightened level of scrutiny at this time. With that in mind, I felt there was a need for new leadership, and we have parted ways with mutual consent,” said Badenoch, in a separate statement.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;UK: PM Sunak calls Post Office's Horizon Scandal 'an appaling miscarriage of justice'

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In the meantime, an interim chair will be appointed and the government will launch a recruitment process for a new chair. Staunton, 75, joined the Post Office board in December 2022, following his long career in the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) boardrooms.

The Post Office chairperson’s ouster comes amid reports of tension between him and the government in recent months.&nbsp;

A report by Sky News citing sources said there was also a row between the government and the state-owned entity’s chief over the appointment of a new independent director.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-post-office-scandal-pm-sunak-announces-new-emergency-law-to-overturn-convictions-678728">UK Post Office scandal: PM Sunak announces new emergency law to overturn convictions</a>

This comes as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government, amid mounting public anger, have sought to introduce a law which would “swiftly exonerate and compensate” more than 700 post office employees who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.&nbsp;

“People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation,” Sunak said earlier this month.&nbsp;

<h2>About the Horizon IT scandal</h2>

The decades-long scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, involving thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions has made headlines once again after a recently aired ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, about the scandal.&nbsp;

Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on the information from a recently installed IT system for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-the-uk-post-office-scandal-all-about-677930">Explained | What is the Horizon IT scandal that might cost ex-UK post office chief her royal honour?</a>

It was not until 2019 that the Horizon IT system, developed by a Japanese company named Fujitsu, was found&nbsp;to be at fault. However, the damage was done, as hundreds of sub-postmasters were given criminal convictions based on faulty accounting software.&nbsp;

A 2021 ruling then paved the way for compensation to the victims affected by the scandal. Meanwhile, the Japanese company, Fujitsu, last week said it would work with the British government on “appropriate actions” including compensation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The United Kingdom government, on Saturday (Jan 27), said that the Post Office chairman Henry Staunton has been dismissed as the state-owned entity reels from the decades-long Horizon IT scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in the country’s history.

The United Kingdom government, on Saturday (Jan 27), said that the Post Office chairman Henry Staunton has been dismissed as the state-owned entity reels from the decades-long Horizon IT scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in the country’s history. What happened? UK’s Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch told Staunton that he will be replaced over the weekend, according to British media reports. The business secretary and post office chairman have “agreed to part ways with mutual consent,” said a government spokesperson, in a statement, on Saturday. “The Post Office is rightfully under a heightened level of scrutiny at this time. With that in mind, I felt there was a need for new leadership, and we have parted ways with mutual consent,” said Badenoch, in a separate statement. WATCH | UK: PM Sunak calls Post Office's Horizon Scandal 'an appaling miscarriage of justice' In the meantime, an interim chair will be appointed and the government will launch a recruitment process for a new chair. Staunton, 75, joined the Post Office board in December 2022, following his long career in the Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) boardrooms. The Post Office chairperson’s ouster comes amid reports of tension between him and the government in recent months. A report by Sky News citing sources said there was also a row between the government and the state-owned entity’s chief over the appointment of a new independent director. ALSO READ | UK Post Office scandal: PM Sunak announces new emergency law to overturn convictions This comes as UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government, amid mounting public anger, have sought to introduce a law which would “swiftly exonerate and compensate” more than 700 post office employees who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal. “People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation,” Sunak said earlier this month. About the Horizon IT scandal The decades-long scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, involving thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions has made headlines once again after a recently aired ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, about the scandal. Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on the information from a recently installed IT system for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting. ALSO READ | Explained | What is the Horizon IT scandal that might cost ex-UK post office chief her royal honour? It was not until 2019 that the Horizon IT system, developed by a Japanese company named Fujitsu, was found to be at fault. However, the damage was done, as hundreds of sub-postmasters were given criminal convictions based on faulty accounting software. A 2021 ruling then paved the way for compensation to the victims affected by the scandal. Meanwhile, the Japanese company, Fujitsu, last week said it would work with the British government on “appropriate actions” including compensation. (With inputs from agencies)

Horizon IT scandal: UK Post Office chairman Henry Staunton dismissed by government

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday (Jan 10) said that his government would introduce an emergency law to grant an unprecedented blanket acquittal for hundreds of wrongly convicted employees of the state-owned Post Office in&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-what-is-the-uk-post-office-scandal-all-about-677930">Horizon IT scandal</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>‘One of the greatest miscarriages of justice’</h2>

Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting based on the information from a recently installed IT system.&nbsp;

The decades-long scandal involves thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions. According to the BBC, there are more than 900 convictions linked to the scandal over 16 years.&nbsp;

In a statement, Sunak, describing the scandal as “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history” said that his government will introduce new legislation to make sure that the victims of the scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-government-mulls-clearing-names-of-post-office-scandal-convicts-677851">UK government mulls clearing names of Post Office scandal convicts</a>

He added, “People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation.”&nbsp;

British media reports citing government officials said that the bill would be introduced “within weeks” as they have sought to grant the acquittals this year.

<h2>How will it help the victims of the scandal?</h2>

Speaking in the House of Commons after the UK PM, Kevin Hollinrake, member of Parliament and Post Office minister said hundreds fell victim to a “brutal and arbitrary exercise of power” by the state-owned entity.&nbsp;

Hollinrake told the Commons that amid the ongoing public inquiry about the scandal, they have found evidence that suggests that the Post Office acted with “incompetence and malevolence”.&nbsp;

He also noted that the bill that the government has sought to introduce could lead to some people fraudulently claiming compensation, but it will be a price worth paying.&nbsp;

“The risk is that instead of unjust convictions, we should end up with unjust acquittals,” said the Post Office minister. He added, “These are exceptional circumstances, and we need to act quickly and decisively. Time is one thing that we and the convicted postmasters do not have.”

The opposition Labour Party has welcomed the decision indicating that the bill introduced would swiftly pass through the parliament.&nbsp;

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Hollinrake said those applying for compensation after they have been acquitted would have to sign a statement saying they did not commit the crimes of which they were accused.&nbsp;

He also acknowledged that it is not a “foolproof device” but called it “proportionate” and respectful of those who would have suffered the ordeal.&nbsp;

The bill will be introduced in response to the alarmingly slow pace at which the wrongly convicted Post Office staff is being exonerated and involve the parliament overturning the verdicts of multiple courts.&nbsp;

The bill would be introduced despite many raising concerns about the parliament interfering with the courts’ decision and setting a concerning precedent.&nbsp;

While the full details of the proposed law are yet to be known, Downing Street said it would amount to a blanket overturning of convictions tied to the scandal.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday (Jan 10) said that his government would introduce an emergency law to grant an unprecedented blanket acquittal for hundreds of wrongly convicted employees of the state-owned Post Office in the Horizon IT scandal.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday (Jan 10) said that his government would introduce an emergency law to grant an unprecedented blanket acquittal for hundreds of wrongly convicted employees of the state-owned Post Office in the Horizon IT scandal. ‘One of the greatest miscarriages of justice’ Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting based on the information from a recently installed IT system. The decades-long scandal involves thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions. According to the BBC, there are more than 900 convictions linked to the scandal over 16 years. In a statement, Sunak, describing the scandal as “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history” said that his government will introduce new legislation to make sure that the victims of the scandal are “swiftly exonerated and compensated”. ALSO WATCH | UK government mulls clearing names of Post Office scandal convicts He added, “People who worked hard to serve their communities had their lives and their reputations destroyed through absolutely no fault of their own. The victims must get justice and compensation.” British media reports citing government officials said that the bill would be introduced “within weeks” as they have sought to grant the acquittals this year. How will it help the victims of the scandal? Speaking in the House of Commons after the UK PM, Kevin Hollinrake, member of Parliament and Post Office minister said hundreds fell victim to a “brutal and arbitrary exercise of power” by the state-owned entity. Hollinrake told the Commons that amid the ongoing public inquiry about the scandal, they have found evidence that suggests that the Post Office acted with “incompetence and malevolence”. He also noted that the bill that the government has sought to introduce could lead to some people fraudulently claiming compensation, but it will be a price worth paying. “The risk is that instead of unjust convictions, we should end up with unjust acquittals,” said the Post Office minister. He added, “These are exceptional circumstances, and we need to act quickly and decisively. Time is one thing that we and the convicted postmasters do not have.” The opposition Labour Party has welcomed the decision indicating that the bill introduced would swiftly pass through the parliament. ALSO READ | UK: Children committing more than half of child sexual abuse crimes, says new data Hollinrake said those applying for compensation after they have been acquitted would have to sign a statement saying they did not commit the crimes of which they were accused. He also acknowledged that it is not a “foolproof device” but called it “proportionate” and respectful of those who would have suffered the ordeal. The bill will be introduced in response to the alarmingly slow pace at which the wrongly convicted Post Office staff is being exonerated and involve the parliament overturning the verdicts of multiple courts. The bill would be introduced despite many raising concerns about the parliament interfering with the courts’ decision and setting a concerning precedent. While the full details of the proposed law are yet to be known, Downing Street said it would amount to a blanket overturning of convictions tied to the scandal. (With inputs from agencies)

UK Post Office scandal: PM Sunak announces new emergency law to overturn convictions

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Sunday (Jan 7) said that his government is considering a move which would exonerate hundreds of employees of the state-owned Post Office who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.&nbsp;

The UK PM&nbsp;would back a probe into whether to revoke&nbsp;former Post Office boss Paula Vennells’ CBE in the wake of the Horizon scandal, said his spokesperson.&nbsp;

The decades-long scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, involving thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions is making the headlines once again.&nbsp;

This time after an ITV drama which has reportedly led to 50 more potential victims coming forward. Here’s what you need to know.&nbsp;

<h2>Horizon IT scandal</h2>

Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on the information from a recently installed IT system for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting.&nbsp;

The UK Post Office, in the late 1990s, installed the Horizon IT system.&nbsp;Developed by a Japanese company named&nbsp;Fujitsu, the software was used for tasks such as transactions, accounting and stocktaking.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-pm-sunak-calls-post-office-scandal-appalling-miscarriage-of-justice-677795">UK: PM Sunak calls 'Post Office' scandal 'appalling miscarriage of justice'</a>

Around 3,500 branch owner-operators were wrongly accused of stealing money from their businesses and 736 of them were given criminal convictions based on faulty accounting software.&nbsp;

As a result, hundreds of sub-post office operators who maintained their innocence all these years and said that they had complained about bugs in the system after it reported shortfalls amounting to thousands of pounds, ended up with a criminal record.

The UK Post Office employees also claimed that their concerns were often dismissed by their employers who said that the issues were the fault of the individual branch managers and not the system.

Even those who did not end up going to court had to gather money to cover nonexistent shortfalls. Notably, this was happening even before the convictions.&nbsp;

It was reported that some sub-postmasters would try to bridge the gap with their own money since their contracts stated they were responsible for any shortfalls, going as far as to remortgage their homes to correct the error, without any success.&nbsp;

<h2>The impact</h2>

The criminal convictions led to punishments ranging from community service to wearing electronic tags to being jailed. While others were left struggling financially or even went bankrupt and some were reportedly shunned by their communities.&nbsp;

The victims and their families over the years witnessed severe stress, including many illnesses, addiction and even premature deaths. The scandal is also linked to at least four suicides.&nbsp;

It was not until two decades later that the campaigners managed to get their cases reconsidered based on the claims that the computer system was flawed.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-billionaire-accuses-sothebys-of-art-fraud-in-high-stakes-legal-battle-677899">Russian billionaire accuses Sotheby’s of art fraud collusion in high-stakes legal battle</a>

However, these convictions had done lasting damage. Recently, the courts heard how over the years the scandal has led the victims’ marriages to break down, while some families believe the stress led to long-term health conditions.

Notably, the UK Post Office&nbsp;has the power to investigate and prosecute without the need for police involvement.&nbsp;

<h2>What proved the victims’ innocence?</h2>

The turning point in the decades-long case can be traced back to December 2019, towards the end of a series of civil cases where a group of post office operators won a High Court case in which their convictions were found to be wrongful and Horizon IT system was ruled to be at fault.&nbsp;

The ruling came three years after sub-postmasters initiated civil proceedings against the Post Office which over time saw the participation of more than 500 employees.&nbsp;

The judge said that the IT system had “bugs, errors and defects” and was not “remotely robust” in the first 10 years after it was installed. The Post Office agreed to settle with 555 claimants after accepting it made mistakes while dealing with a number of postmasters.&nbsp;

The Post Office agreed to pay 58 million pounds ($73.8 million) in damages, while the claimants received a share of 12 million pounds ($15.3 million) after their legal fees were paid.&nbsp;

In 2021, the ruling was upheld on appeal and led to the quashing of convictions of some workers who were wrongly accused and paved the way for compensation.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-calls-for-universal-ban-on-despicable-practice-of-surrogate-motherhood-677906">Pope calls for universal ban on 'despicable' practice of surrogate motherhood</a>

The High Court ruling also led to more cases being brought forward to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body which investigates suspected miscarriages of justice.

<h2>Criminal convictions and compensation</h2>

As of last month, 142 appeal case reviews have been completed out of 900 people convicted during the scandal, reported The Guardian. To date, 93 convictions have been overturned while &nbsp;54 upheld, withdrawn or refused permission to appeal, said the Post Office.&nbsp;

So far, a total of 24 million pounds ($30.5 million) have been given in relation to overturned convictions. However, the Post Office has recently come under fire for delaying payments and blunders, including victims being taxed on the compensation received.&nbsp;

Several victims have reportedly died before they could receive their compensation due to the delays by the Post Office. Notably, the overturned convictions process is one of three different compensation schemes which has been established concerning the scandal.&nbsp;

As the British government has previously said every branch owner-operator who has had wrongful convictions for theft and false accounting overturned is to be offered 600,000 pounds ($764,010) each in compensation.&nbsp;

More than 130 million pounds ($165.6 million) have been paid out to about 2,500 Post Office workers across the three schemes, reported The Guardian.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-spots-more-chinese-balloons-over-strait-accuses-beijing-of-psychological-warfare-ahead-of-elections-677750">Taiwan spots more Chinese balloons over strait, accuses Beijing of 'psychological warfare' ahead of elections</a>

So far, neither the Post Office nor Fujitsu has been held accountable, however, the High Court judge had said that the Japanese company would be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for possible further action.

<h2>Why is the scandal making headlines now?</h2>

It is worth noting that it was after a TV series titled Mr Bates vs the Post Office aired on British television last week that the scandal was once again brought to the forefront of the public’s mind. The show and the attention it garnered have also reportedly led to new potential victims coming forward.&nbsp;

The story follows a former sub-postmaster named Alan Bates played by Toby Jones, who led the campaign for justice at the High Court. Post Office Chief Executive Nick Read said that he hoped the TV show “encourages anyone affected who has not yet come forward to seek the redress and compensation they deserve.”

<h2>‘Appalling’</h2>

In an interview, on Sunday, UK PM said that his government was considering a move to exonerate hundreds of employees who have been wrongfully convicted.&nbsp;

Sunak was asked if Justice Minister Alex Chalk was exploring ways to exonerate them or remove the Post Office’s ability to investigate and prosecute, the UK PM responded by saying that the case was “an appalling miscarriage of justice”.&nbsp;

“The Justice Secretary is looking at the things that you described,” he told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.&nbsp;

“It’s right that we find every which way we can do to try and make this right for the people who were so wrongfully treated at the time.” Sunak said, adding there was some “legal complexity in all of those things.”&nbsp;

The UK PM&nbsp;would “strongly support”&nbsp;the forfeiture committee “if they were to choose to investigate” and revoke Vennells’ CBE in the wake of the&nbsp;Horizon scandal.&nbsp;

"The prime minister shares the public's feeling of outrage on this issue. He would strongly support the Forfeiture Committee if it chose to review the case," said Sunak's spokesperson, adding that the decision is "for the committee, rather than the government".&nbsp;

Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire&nbsp;or&nbsp;CBE is among the highest ranking Order of the British Empire level award&nbsp;and is bestowed upon an&nbsp;individual for&nbsp;having a prominent role at the national level, or a leading role at the regional level in the UK.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;petition&nbsp;addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, the chair of the forfeiture committee calling for revoking&nbsp;Vennells'&nbsp;CBE over the scandal has garnered more than one million&nbsp;signatures.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Sunday (Jan 7) said that his government is considering a move which would exonerate hundreds of employees of the state-owned Post Office who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal.

The United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on Sunday (Jan 7) said that his government is considering a move which would exonerate hundreds of employees of the state-owned Post Office who were wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal. The UK PM would back a probe into whether to revoke former Post Office boss Paula Vennells’ CBE in the wake of the Horizon scandal, said his spokesperson. The decades-long scandal, often described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history, involving thousands of branch owner-operators and hundreds of wrongful convictions is making the headlines once again. This time after an ITV drama which has reportedly led to 50 more potential victims coming forward. Here’s what you need to know. Horizon IT scandal Between 1999 and 2015, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses based on the information from a recently installed IT system for alleged theft, fraud and false accounting. The UK Post Office, in the late 1990s, installed the Horizon IT system. Developed by a Japanese company named Fujitsu, the software was used for tasks such as transactions, accounting and stocktaking. ALSO WATCH | UK: PM Sunak calls 'Post Office' scandal 'appalling miscarriage of justice' Around 3,500 branch owner-operators were wrongly accused of stealing money from their businesses and 736 of them were given criminal convictions based on faulty accounting software. As a result, hundreds of sub-post office operators who maintained their innocence all these years and said that they had complained about bugs in the system after it reported shortfalls amounting to thousands of pounds, ended up with a criminal record. The UK Post Office employees also claimed that their concerns were often dismissed by their employers who said that the issues were the fault of the individual branch managers and not the system. Even those who did not end up going to court had to gather money to cover nonexistent shortfalls. Notably, this was happening even before the convictions. It was reported that some sub-postmasters would try to bridge the gap with their own money since their contracts stated they were responsible for any shortfalls, going as far as to remortgage their homes to correct the error, without any success. The impact The criminal convictions led to punishments ranging from community service to wearing electronic tags to being jailed. While others were left struggling financially or even went bankrupt and some were reportedly shunned by their communities. The victims and their families over the years witnessed severe stress, including many illnesses, addiction and even premature deaths. The scandal is also linked to at least four suicides. It was not until two decades later that the campaigners managed to get their cases reconsidered based on the claims that the computer system was flawed. ALSO READ | Russian billionaire accuses Sotheby’s of art fraud collusion in high-stakes legal battle However, these convictions had done lasting damage. Recently, the courts heard how over the years the scandal has led the victims’ marriages to break down, while some families believe the stress led to long-term health conditions. Notably, the UK Post Office has the power to investigate and prosecute without the need for police involvement. What proved the victims’ innocence? The turning point in the decades-long case can be traced back to December 2019, towards the end of a series of civil cases where a group of post office operators won a High Court case in which their convictions were found to be wrongful and Horizon IT system was ruled to be at fault. The ruling came three years after sub-postmasters initiated civil proceedings against the Post Office which over time saw the participation of more than 500 employees. The judge said that the IT system had “bugs, errors and defects” and was not “remotely robust” in the first 10 years after it was installed. The Post Office agreed to settle with 555 claimants after accepting it made mistakes while dealing with a number of postmasters. The Post Office agreed to pay 58 million pounds ($73.8 million) in damages, while the claimants received a share of 12 million pounds ($15.3 million) after their legal fees were paid. In 2021, the ruling was upheld on appeal and led to the quashing of convictions of some workers who were wrongly accused and paved the way for compensation. ALSO READ | Pope calls for universal ban on 'despicable' practice of surrogate motherhood The High Court ruling also led to more cases being brought forward to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body which investigates suspected miscarriages of justice. Criminal convictions and compensation As of last month, 142 appeal case reviews have been completed out of 900 people convicted during the scandal, reported The Guardian. To date, 93 convictions have been overturned while 54 upheld, withdrawn or refused permission to appeal, said the Post Office. So far, a total of 24 million pounds ($30.5 million) have been given in relation to overturned convictions. However, the Post Office has recently come under fire for delaying payments and blunders, including victims being taxed on the compensation received. Several victims have reportedly died before they could receive their compensation due to the delays by the Post Office. Notably, the overturned convictions process is one of three different compensation schemes which has been established concerning the scandal. As the British government has previously said every branch owner-operator who has had wrongful convictions for theft and false accounting overturned is to be offered 600,000 pounds ($764,010) each in compensation. More than 130 million pounds ($165.6 million) have been paid out to about 2,500 Post Office workers across the three schemes, reported The Guardian. ALSO READ | Taiwan spots more Chinese balloons over strait, accuses Beijing of 'psychological warfare' ahead of elections So far, neither the Post Office nor Fujitsu has been held accountable, however, the High Court judge had said that the Japanese company would be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for possible further action. Why is the scandal making headlines now? It is worth noting that it was after a TV series titled Mr Bates vs the Post Office aired on British television last week that the scandal was once again brought to the forefront of the public’s mind. The show and the attention it garnered have also reportedly led to new potential victims coming forward. The story follows a former sub-postmaster named Alan Bates played by Toby Jones, who led the campaign for justice at the High Court. Post Office Chief Executive Nick Read said that he hoped the TV show “encourages anyone affected who has not yet come forward to seek the redress and compensation they deserve.” ‘Appalling’ In an interview, on Sunday, UK PM said that his government was considering a move to exonerate hundreds of employees who have been wrongfully convicted. Sunak was asked if Justice Minister Alex Chalk was exploring ways to exonerate them or remove the Post Office’s ability to investigate and prosecute, the UK PM responded by saying that the case was “an appalling miscarriage of justice”. “The Justice Secretary is looking at the things that you described,” he told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. “It’s right that we find every which way we can do to try and make this right for the people who were so wrongfully treated at the time.” Sunak said, adding there was some “legal complexity in all of those things.” The UK PM would “strongly support” the forfeiture committee “if they were to choose to investigate” and revoke Vennells’ CBE in the wake of the Horizon scandal. "The prime minister shares the public's feeling of outrage on this issue. He would strongly support the Forfeiture Committee if it chose to review the case," said Sunak's spokesperson, adding that the decision is "for the committee, rather than the government". Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or CBE is among the highest ranking Order of the British Empire level award and is bestowed upon an individual for having a prominent role at the national level, or a leading role at the regional level in the UK. The petition addressed to Sir Chris Wormald, the chair of the forfeiture committee calling for revoking Vennells' CBE over the scandal has garnered more than one million signatures. (With inputs from agencies)

Explained | What is the Horizon IT scandal that might cost ex-UK post office chief her royal honour?

After more than a decade, the UK's infamous post office Horizon Scandal is back in the news. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government is mulling to clear the names of hundreds who were wrongfully accused.

UK post office horizon scandal: UK Met police probing post office's role in scandal | WION