POL00107562
POL00107562
Gary R Thomas
10/11/2011 14:15
ury/e/PO
, Helen R
Southini
ce:
Subject: 48 Hour Offender Reporting - Yetminster - POLTD
POL00107562
POL00107562
To be e mailed to Team Leader, Post Office Security, Helen Rose, Financial Investigator (if applicable) and
Primary Stakeholder within two working days of interview
POLTD/1112/0163
Audit - Cash Loss
Miss Tracey Merritt
Subpostmistress
09-Nov-11
Gary Adderley/Lin Norbury
Information was received suggesting
that if this office was audited it would
be found to be around £12K short.
This information came from a
Holidayrelief that had worked in this
office during August 2011.0n
receiving this information I conducted
some checks and instigated a Special
Audit request that was scheduled for
29th September 2011. An audit was
conducted at the office to verify
financial assets due to the Post
Office® and confirm compliance with a
range of Business processes,
procedures and regulatory
requirements. The audit revealed a
shortage of £11,886.77 at the two
branches of Yetminster & the outreach
office at Chetnole under the control of
the Postmistress Miss Tracey Merritt.
Clearly the information received
appeared to be accurate in its earlier
POL00107562
POL00107562
suggestion. The Event Log Balancing
showed shortages apparent during
August 2011 although the
Postmistress advised both the
auditor's on the day and the Contracts.
Manager over the telephone that she
had only taken the money the night
before the audit for personal reasons.
A ccheque for £9,500 was found to be
at the branch although was not
entered onto Horizon.
On commencement of the interview
PM produced documentation from
Computer Weekly with regards to the
enquiry Justice For
Sub-Postmasters being undertaken
by Shoosmiths stating that 11,500
Postmasters were saying the system
was at fault. She said when she
transferred to Horizon On Line was.
when her problems began with a
£2000 loss that doubled to £4000. She
continued to explain examples when
the Horizon System had frozen. This
will clearly be an Horizon Challenge
Integrity Case going forward. Miss
Merritt denied she had ever taken or
used Post Office money for her own
use and retracted what she stated on
the day to the auditors and the
Contract Manager Gary Adderley that
she had used the money fora
personal reason the day before the
auditors had turned up claiming she
would have said anything at that time
locked in a room with two auditors. I
confirmed she was not locked in a
room but actually within the Secure
Area of the Post Office at Yetminster. I
stated that I had instigated the audit
following information from the
Holidayrelief about there being £12K
missing which appeared to be
correct.
Daughters Password compromised as
known by Postmistress
29-Sep-11
Gary Adderley/Lin Norbury
POL00107562
POL00107562
N/A
N/A
£11,886.77
Nil
Witness Statements from
HolidayRelief, Auditor, Contracts.
Manager etc. Forward GS045 Bank
Authority Forms regarding Bank
Accounts etc. Land Registry check.
Possible request for Horizon Data.
Yes
Miss Tracey Merritt made a number of
references to mistakes and a lack of
support by the business that I agreed
to take away and to pass to somebody
who would contact her and try to
assist and answer her queries that
were outside of the suspected criminal
activity.
Gary Thomas
Jason Collins
10-Nov-11
Regards
Gary Thomas
Security Manager
Security Operations
Post Office Ltd
POL00107562
POL00107562
Confidential Information: This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended recipient (s) and may contain
confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorised review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.
If you are not the intended recipient, please contact me by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
consider the environ defor
e-mail
POL00107562
POL00107562
Spreadtheword.. =
il
“