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Witness Name:! A i
Statement No.: WITN0217_01
Exhibits: None
Dated:17 January 2022
IN THE POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
FIRST WITNESS STATEMENT OF
1, I Anonymity Order }, will say as follows...
INTRODUCTION
1. I am grateful to the Chair to be invited to provide a “human impact” statement,
concerning the physical, psychological, emotional, reputational and financial
consequences to me and my family as a result of the Horizon IT system and Post
Office Limited’s actions toward me and my family. The initial paragraphs below
provide a brief summary of my background, and to provide context to the detail of
the human impact of the scandal on me and my family.
BACKGROUND
2. I decided to become a subpostmaster as this appeared to be a very sound business
move for me. My background is in financial services. I was working at the Alliance &
Leicester at the time. I felt extremely confident in being able to run a Post Office. I
was familiar with the financial products offered, cash handing and everything else
involved in the business.
3. I fully intended to build on this. My ambition was to have a host of stores by the time
I turned 30.
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4. It is also important to note that my family comes from a long line of shop owners.
We were respected in the local community. I knew the people who I served in the
bank and then the Post Office. We were involved in local charities, helped local
schools.
5. Iwas the subpostmaster of a branch in between November 2006
and March/April 2008.
6. I employed approximately 12 assistants while engaged as the subpostmaster at the
branch. However, only 5 or 6 of them were trained to operate the Post Office
counters.
7. The Post Office was within a branch of a!
a general store.
8. It is devastating that my reputation was tarnished through absolutely no fault of my
own.
SHORTFALLS
9. In this section, I set out in very brief detail my experience of shortfalls arising from
deficiencies in the Horizon system, and Post Office Limited’s actions as a result. This
is only a brief introduction to those matters, in order to provide necessary context
for the explanation of the human impact which follows.
10. It’s important to note that the training I received on the Horizon system was very
inadequate. I received a couple of days training, at a training centre prior to taking
the position. The training was very basic and focused mainly on selling/upselling
products rather than how to use the system itself.
11. Had I not had many years’ experience of running businesses, balancing takings and
financial experience, I believe I would not have known how to operate the system at
all based on this training alone. It was clunky from the start.
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12. I do recall having some additional training on the sale side of the business. However,
this was in no way comprehensive and did not cover anything on the Horizon system
or on balancing.
13.1 soon began to experience shortfalls as early as November 2006, my first week in
the branch. It just was not balancing. I knew some of the other subpostmasters in
the area, so they came over to help try to work out what was wrong. The shortfall
was approximately £200. I remember being in tears over this.
14. I and my friends who were subpostmasters stayed all night trying to work it out. Bear
in mind, these were people who had years of experience, and even they were at a
loss to explain it. In the end, I put my own cash in the balance the loss, hoping it
would roll over to the following week and eventually balance out.
15. I estimate that I contacted the Helpline 2-3 times a month during this period.
16. The advice given through the Helpline was generic and never helpful. I was told it
was human error and they would often agree to send ‘transaction corrections’. This
never solved the problem.
17. On occasions, the Helpline would advise me to adjust the figures on the system or
reverse a transaction. On the occasions I did this, it would multiply the loss. Of
course, on telling the Helpline this, they would maintain their position that I was
liable to make good the shortfall.
18.1 cannot recall a time when the Helpline resolved a problem. Only ever
compounding it.
19. Over the years I ran the branch I had shortfalls amounting to approximately £12,500.
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20. Often these were small shortfalls, which I made good when they arose but built up
over time with no solution to why they were happening despite me constantly
making them aware there was a problem. In the end I felt it was pointless even
contacting the Helpline.
21. Often, I would pay in cash or cheques in order to balance or adjust the figures on the
system. This was the advice I was given. Most of the time I put in my own money.
22.1 began to be suspicious of my staff and I was continuously told the losses had
nothing to do with the system. I even put in place CCTV. I became paranoid,
confused and very unsettled.
23.1 felt that enough was enough and made the decision to sell the business and had a
prospective buyer, I : Unfortunately, the Post Office rejected his
subpostmaster application. He was deemed not to be qualified enough. I did
at he would pay me a sum in
however, come to an arrangement with r
lieu of him acquiring the necessary skills and taking over the business. We agreed a
sum of £60,000.
24. My branch was audited in January 2008. They arrived at 7:30am. They discovered a
shortfall of £2,500. I made up the shortfall in full on the day of the audit. I had not
been present the evening before, so was only aware of the shortfall on the day of
the audit. I was made to feel it was my doing and I would be suspended with
immediate effect and to pay the shortfall would make things look better for me. I
wrote them a cheque for the amount there and then.
25. My contract was terminated due to these alleged shortfalls. I struggled financially. I
was concerned that this would have a negative impact on my credit rating. Coming
from a financial background and being a businessman, I was always conscious of this.
I would therefore make sure these demands were paid. I was able to repay in
instalments, but it was crippling for me.
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26.1 was never given any viable reason for how the shortfalls were made. The Post
Office would say things like ‘stamps for official use’, always very vague. I was made
to feel I was a criminal. The whole experience was traumatic even though I had years
of experience of audits. This was beyond devastating.
27. Following my suspension, I did attend a meeting with my contracts manager, Paul
Williams. I was hopeful that they would fully investigate the shortfalls, my name
would be cleared, and I could return to my position. This was not the case. I have
never seen any evidence of any investigations.
28. In the meantim pplication to become a Subpostmaster was accepted,
and he was appointed to allow the business to stay open.
29. I was warned not to enter the premise and my personal belongings were handed to
me ina box.
30. The whole experience was embarrassing and totally humiliating. It also meant that I
legally had no right to sell the business and the agreement with
through. I did enter a legal challenge regarding this, costing me in the region of
£30,000 in legal bills.
31. Everything was mounting up. I was forced to sell other investments to finance things
as I no longer had an income from the branch.
HUMAN IMPACT
32. Financially, I was devastated. I was forced to sell my car and property due to issues
arising from the Horizon system. I sold my business at a loss. All my savings were
depleted due to having to pay the shortfalls. This continued even after leaving the
Post Office, as letters from debt collection agencies continued to arrive.
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33.1 went from being a person of good standing, a successful businessman who had no
financial difficulties at all, even taking business class flights, expensive family
holidays, to someone who was at the brink of losing everything.
34. To add to the financial worries, I became stressed, anxious and at times suicidal.
35. Around this time my grandfather in India passed away. I could not visit. I turned to
alcohol. My mental health declined. I questioned myself, my actions. Although never
convicted of any criminal offence, the threat of it was constant.
36. It has taken me almost 10 years to get into nearly the same position I was in prior to
taking on the Post Office. I went from being a successful banker, earning in excess of
£170,000 per annum to having to take a £15,000 a year job to make ends meet. I lost
my life savings, sold my home and car. Not to mention the legal costs.
37.1 had an excellent reputation in the community. That was destroyed by the Post
Office. I felt unable to look people in the eye.
38. My family even thought I could be a criminal. I felt ostracised. It was only when this
scandal began to hit the headlines in 2019, that I felt able to visit the village where I
had the store again.
39. Unless you were one of the other subpostmasters who had gone through the same
thing, it is impossible to know what we went through. I can never forgive the Post
Office for what has happened, and the lack of accountability is galling.
CONCLUSION
40. I hope to receive some closure, some vindication. An apology for what I have been
through and what I have lost. I want the Post Office to be held to account publicly.
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41. What happened to me, and hundreds of other decent hard-working people is an
absolute outrage. It is a disgrace that is impossible to put into words.
subpostmasters need to be repaid for our losses and compensated for what was
done to us.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH
i believe the contents of this statement to be true.
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