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a _ POL00294957
THE RT HON GEORGE OSBORNE MP
CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
HOUSE OF COMMONS, LONDON SWIA 0AA
Edward Davey MP \
Departmeni for Business. inccvation & Skills
1 victoria Street
London SW18i GET
GZ Suly 2010
can see, he and others in 4 simlar position have joined “Justice for
Subpostmasters Alliance”.
Tenclose.a copy of his tetter ¢
Ri Hon George Osborne MP
Working for the Constituents of Tatton
_www.georgeosbome4tatton.com
Telephone
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Mr & Mrs T Walters
6" July 2010
Dear Mr Osborne,
Jam writing to you with regard to the way I have been treated by Post Office Ltd (POL).
From 5* May 2005 until 11" February 2008 I was the Subpostmaster at Hockley Post Office in ~~
Poynton: That was until POL terminated my contract and accused me of falsifying accounts to
obtain money from the Post Office.
Before I took the position the POL vetted me and found me to be a honest, reliable and trustworthy
person and a suitable candidate to take on the position as Subpostmaster. I am still that same person.
Logically why would any hard working person who had invested their money into a business want
to jepordise that business by falsifying accounts in order to take money from the Post Office.
Unfortunately a few months after my contract was terminated the Post Office closed as part of the
governement cut backs. I still maintain to this day that it was a set up so I would not be paid the
compensation that I was entitled to for closure of the Post Office side of my business. Needless to
say my business and personal financial affairs have suffered considerably since.
Do you not think it strange that not only I but many other Subpostmasters have experienced the
same thing and that nearly 300 Subpostmasters have been suspended for similar offences as we
speak. Its alright expecting the poor Subpostmaster to make good any short fall but what happens
when they are thousands of pounds under which obviously is a computer error and cannot be right
and yet they are expected to make good this loss. Those that cannot are treated as criminals and
sentenced as such because the Post Office say they have taken the money. Although the Post Office
cannot produce such evidence to support these claims. The saying that innocent until proved guilty
I--~--» --- dees -not come into it
The Subpostmasters Federation was set up to help and advice Subpostmasters and subs were paid
every month to them and yet when a problem occurs with a Subpostmaster they are a complete
waste of time and money and need to be abolished.
At the end of the day the root cause behind the problems we had with POL was entirely due to their
fault ridden Horizon system. We are not alone in suffering from a system which is prone to errors,
has negligible support, is inaccessible to the level required to manage the business, and yet makes
its Subpostmasters accountable for it's failures and losses. Even the contract niether states we are
employed by the Post Office or self employed which needs to be clairfied for future
Subpostmasters.
The Post Office is 100% owned by the government and regardless of how the Government try and
sidestep it's responsibilities, it is the Government of today with its silence, that ultimately approves
and sanctions the atrocities that POL has inflicted on me and many other Subpostmasters.
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To take me into the back of my premises by a criminal investigation team and question me while it
was being tape recorded and I was not able to have a representative who could speak up in my
defence was very intimidating and humiliating to say the least. It was more like M15 than a small
village Post Office.I was suspended without pay for 3 months.
When my contract was terminated despite me trying to defend myself with evidence they just
assumed I had taken money from the Post Office and that was that. I catagorically deny I ever took
any money from the Post Office. At the present time the Post Office are persuing me through the
courts for £11,800.00 they say I owe them. From my point of veiw they owe me alot more.
I and others have now joined together to form the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance in order to
try and have our voices heard and to let the public know how the Government, in the guise of POL,
are treating Subpostmasters.
As you are my elected representative in Parliament I am asking you to request an inquiry to be set
up to investigate my case and the many other cases from around the country where Subpostmasters
~ “have suffered at the tiands of Post Office Limited-——— ~~~ —_--
J am available to come and talk to you at one of your surgeries if you want more details of my case.
Yours sincerely
Terry Walters