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Message
From: Nick Read} GRO
Sent:
To:
cc:
_. manuel, Catherine
‘odric Williams I GRO Jandrew.parsons
i GRO. William I eronica Branton
L GRO!
Subject: ‘Achieved idential and Legally Privileged
Thank you Ben and most particularly for your diligent and professional approach over what has been a difficult
couple of weeks. You have managed all the various parties with great skill and patience and this very positive
outcome is in no small part down to your efforts.
Congratulations and many thanks on behalf of the whole business. We know that this challenging time for the
Post Office has not concluded, but we now have a genuine chance to reset our relationship with postmasters,
which we must not squander.
Well done.
Best,
Nick
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Carla Stent!
Ken McCall?
} Alisdair Cameron 1
Shikha
,Rodric Williams
Lord, William <_
lam pleased to advise that the long running GLO proceedings has settled.
Comms will be issued tomorrow morning but the headlines are:
1. Financial payment of £57.75m inclusive of the £5.5m CU costs to be made within 3 working days;
2. Material non-financial aspects of the settlement include:
a. The establishment of a historic shortfall group which will manage future claims in respect of legacy
horizon and HNG-X;
b. Agreement to resolve outstanding issues with insolvent claimants (e.g withdrawal of proof of debt/
discontinuance);
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c. Complete release save for future potential malicious prosecution claims if those claimants have their
convictions overturned;
d. Obligation to follow leading criminal QC advice in dealing with convicted claimants;
e. Undertaking by Freeths and Therium not to act or solicit for future claimants;
f. Parties to follow the joint press statement and not to make any defamatory remarks. This is a fair and
balanced statement which also includes a number of favourable comments about Post Office.
There are of course further issues that will need to be managed following the above settlement including:
1. Operationalising the Common Issues Judgment to ensure compliance with that judgment;
2. Establishing and operationalising a historic shortfall group to manage new claims in respect of the legacy horizon
and HNG-X (see my note to Board last night);
3. Managing issues arising from the convicted claimants including disclosure obligations and referral to the CCRC in
accordance with our advice;
4. Monitoring and management of comms (both internal and external) which Patrick Bourke is leading on;
5. Monitor the response/ reaction to the handing down of the Horizon Issues judgment at 2pm on Monday 16
December. Contingency plans are already in place. Please note the HU judgment is still subject to embargoed
and therefore not to be communicate outside of Post Office.
The Board Sub-Committee discussed the above plans earlier today and a further GE meeting is being held on Thursday
to update and advance the above. Should you have any queries in the meantime, do let me know.
Finally, there are a large number of people to thank for bringing these proceedings to resolution but in short it has been
a great team effort from the Board and its GLO Sub-Committee, GLO Steerco members who represented teams across
the business and Legal including the external lawyers.
Kind regards
Ben
Ben Foat
Group General Counsel
Ground Floor
20 Finsbury Street
LONDON
EC2Y 9AQ
Mobile
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