POL00118250
POL00118250
Claimant
K Baines
First
Exhibits
Dated :
CLAIM NO CR101947
IN THE BLACKPOOL COUNTY COURT
BETWEEN
POST OFFICE COUNTERS LIMITED
Claimant
AND
MRS JULIE WOLSTENHOLME
Defendant
WITNESS STATEMENT OF KEITH BAINES
I, KEITH BAINES of Calthorpe House, 15 — 20 Phoenix Place, London, WC1X ODG STATE
AS FOLLOWS:
1 I am employed by Post Office Limited, formerly Post Office Counters Limited (“the
Post Office”) as Contract Manager with responsibility for contracts with Fujitsu
Services. As the Contract Manager, I am responsible for provision of the Horizon
computer system in directly managed branches run by the Post Office and in Sub-
Post Offices run by Subpostmasters under contract to the Post Office.
2 The facts and matters deposed to in this statement are within my own knowledge
unless I say otherwise. In so far as they are within my own knowledge, they are true.
In so far as they are derived from information provided to me by others, they are true
to the best of my knowledge and belief.
3 The computer system provided by the Post Office for use in branch offices and Sub-
Post Offices is called the Horizon System. Fujitsu Services Limited, formerly ICL
Pathway Limited own the actual equipment and the Post Office buys the service from
them which includes the infrastructure and requests to extract audit data. Before
POL00118250
POL00118250
January 2003, the Post Office was allowed 50 audit extraction requests per year
within the fixed price of the service and, subject to capacity limits of Fujitsu Services
systems and processes, could purchase others at additional cost. The system would
have been fully checked before being issued to the Cleveleys Sub-Post Office.
4 Every branch office and Sub-Post Office has the same type of computer equipment
and system, subject to variations relating to the number of counter positions in the
office.
5 Any faults that occurred in the Horizon computer system were eliminated once they
were identified. Whilst it is possible for mistakes to occur, this is usually through
incorrect inputting to the computer system in the office affected by the mistake. All
sub-postmasters were fully trained in the use of the Horizon equipment. The system
was fully tested before it was used by the Post Office and it is fit for its purpose. The
system itself does not create losses as is claimed by Mrs Wolstenholme.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH
I believe the facts stated in this witness statement are true.
POL00118250
POL00118250
14/10 '03 17:22 FAX!
COMMERCIAL TEAM POL
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TRANSMISSION OK
TX/RX NO.
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CONNECTION ID WEIGHTMAN VIZARD
START TIME 14/10 17:21
USAGE TIME 00'55
PAGES 2
RESULT OK