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Jarnail A Singh To: Warwick Tatford
Sent by: Marilyn cc:
Benjamin Subject: REGINA v SEEMA MISRA
GUILDFORD CROWN COURT
22/12/2009 15:44 TRIAL - 15TH MARCH 2010
Dear Warwick,
1 have now received an E-Mail from Mark Dinsdale who is the Security Programme Manager for Post
Office Limited. You will see that he raises a number of queries and wants solutions to the disclosure
which have in my view unreasonably and unnecessarily been raised by the Defence. I would be
grateful for your advice as to the parameters of disclosure in this case. This may have a wider
implication for the Business and I would therefore look forward to receiving your advice as soon as
possible.
If you wish to discuss the matter please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards.
Jarnail A Singh
Senior Lawyer
Criminal Law Team
Mark Dinsdale
weeereyyrer’ Mark Dinsdale To: Rob G Wilson/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE
I 54 cc: Jane M Owen/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE, John
1971212009 12:5: Longman/e/POSTOFFICE@POSTOFFICE
Subject: Fw: Seema Misra - West Byfleet PO
Rob, I am looking for a bit of guidance on this request for Jon Longman in respect of Seema Misra -
West Byfleet.
This is a huge piece of work which could potentially wrap my team up for weeks, and then only to be
asked for more questions of a similar nature. I also have concerns over the types of questions that are
being asked and whether we can actually provide the information (two of the cases are still ongoing).
We are a new team and would really appreciate your guidance on this on how to move this one
forward. Are these questions that yourselves need to answer from a legal perspective. Clearly some
of these questions are so unspecified, that we could be dragging up Horizon reports for almost every
branch over a ten year period for every single week in operation.
Question 1 to 3 came in one request, then the second set of questions 1 to 2 came as another request,
which clearly states there will be more [question 3 has been passed to Fujitsu.
I hope you can help and provide some guidance on this one. Thank you
Cheers
Mark Dinsdale
1) Please find attached a statement from Eleanor Nixon. In light of the content please
provide the following information:-
a) in relation to the sub post office in Highcliffe, Dorset:-
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i) Full disclosure of the issues raised by her.
ii) The nature of the apparent losses.
iii) Full disclosure of the steps taken by the Post Office to rectify those
losses on the system thereby removing the deficit.
The findings of the Post Office as to the cause of the Horizon system
to show these losses.
v) The identity and contact details of the woman who contacted her
with a view to resolving the problem.
b) The identity of other post offices that were found to be having problems as a
result of her enquiries.
c) Whether those Post Offices also had deficits rectified.
d) What steps, if any, were taken by the Post Office to upgrade the Horizon
system nationally to take into account their findings.
iv)
2) The Defence Expert’s second interim report makes reference to the visit to an
un-named post office. Please confirm that no action will be taken against the post
master in respect of our visit in order that we can identify this post office and request
full disclosure in relation to that post office.
3) In light of the Post Office’s stated intention to commence rolling out the new
computerised accounting system from January 2010, please confirm what steps are
being taken to preserve the end to end architecture of the Horizon system in general
and, in particular, to West Byfleet Post Office.
1) The Prosecution has always maintained that there is no problem with the Horizon
system. Further it has given the impression that the Defendant's defence of raising issue
with the system has no merit. To counter that stance, the Defence raise the following cases
by way of example. Others are in the pipeline.
a) On 3" December 2009 the trial of R v Macdonald, a post office prosecution
for theft and false accounting, is due to commence at Preston Crown Court.
In that case the Defence have served an interim expert’s report from a
Forensic Accountant raising potential issues, similar to this Defence Expert’s
IT report, with the Horizon System. Please provide full disclosure of this case
including prosecution summary, defence case statement and expert’s report.
b) On 14” December 2009 the trial of R v Hosi, a post office prosecution for
theft and false accounting, is due to commence at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
In that case the Defence have served an interim expert’s report from a
Forensic Accountant, similar to this Defence Expert’s IT report, raising
potential issues with the Horizon System. Please provide full disclosure of
this case including prosecution summary, defence case statement and
expert’s report.
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2) In light of the information supplied to the Prosecution in paragraphs 15, 16 and 17
above please now provide details of:-
a) All post offices, past and present, that have experienced losses with the
Horizon system.
b) All prosecutions, past and present that have been brought for theft
and/or false accounting as a result of alleged losses on the Horizon
system.
Mark Dinsdale .
Security Programme Manager
Security Team, Post Office Ltd
®& Post Office Ltd, Security Team, Royal Mail, 3rd Floor,
Cli Si ‘d, MSO 3NW
preferred contact
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