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Witness Name: Mrs Sally Mary Kathleen Stringer
Statement No.: WITNO292_01
Datex
THE POST OFFICE HORIZON INQUIRY
FIRST WITNESS STATEMENT OF MRS SALLY MARY KATHLEEN STRINGER
1, MRS SALLY MARY KATHLEEN STRINGER 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 of being held responsible for shortfalls shown by
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 provide
context to the detail of the human impact of the Horizon scandal on me and my
family. This statement does not reflect a full account of my experiences or those of
my family and if necessary or required I will provide further witness statement
evidence.
2 1 now live in Lincolnshire having moved here in January 2020 with my husband,
Geoff. We have no children. It took us nearly six years to sell our village shop and
post office. Lincolnshire is a beautiful part of the country and one can at last now
find peace
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BACKGROUND
3. When I left school, I trained as a nurse, but a back injury put paid to a very promising
career. I then had a variety of careers starting with working for NUS Travel, a student
travel company, progressing to the airline industry where I ran the UK office for
Guernsey Airlines.
4. I then progressed to the wine trade for ten years and ran three very profitable shops
in Cheltenham. During this period, I was responsible for training my staff and full
monthly accountability of stock.
5. In 1994 I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was only 38. My husband and I bought
a delicatessen with a short 7-year lease so that we could work together. If I died,
Geoff would then have a really successful business without a long term lease to
dispose of. My Mother died in 1995 whilst I was in the middle of chemotherapy.
6. We had a very successful business and decided not to renew a new 25 year full
repair lease and set about attempting to buy a village shop and post office some 10
miles from Cheltenham. We thought that we could combine our knowledge and
expertise from our previous wine and deli business.
is I was drawn to the Post Office as it was then a trusted brand and was at the heart of
local communities. Rural life has a simplicity about it, and the idea that one could
contribute to a community was very much in my mind and perhaps I could help
those in need.
8. I started to have doubts about the Post Office when they could not interview me
properly. The whole process took six months of protracted discussions, trivial
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10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
paperwork and basic incompetence. We had sold our house and were living with my
mother in law.
Eventually at the end of June 2002 we moved. The Post Office had not been able to
organize any training prior to our move.
On July 3rd 2002 I eventually signed a short “acknowledgement of Appointment"
document and prior to that on May 29th 2002 I signed a 1 page conditions
document. The standard subpostmaster contract was not given to me prior to our
move.
I was a Subpostmistress of Beckford Stores & Post Office, Main Street, Beckford,
Gloucestershire GL20 7AD from 3° July 2002 to 9" December 2020.
Beckford was a rural community consisting originally of mainly elderly residents who
appreciated the post office and a village shop. They cared for each other and helped
each other when the need arose. Towards the end of our life in Beckford, the
community was very much split between the ultra-rich and ultra- poor. Status and
wealth accounted for more than basic needs.
Our business consisted of a village shop and post office along with an old stable
block in the courtyard, which were eventually converted into two holiday cottages.
Our home was a large three bedroomed flat which we had to totally refurbished and
we started life living in the holiday cottage as the flat was uninhabitable. The one
disadvantage was that the flat was over the shop and post office and was the target
of numerous crimes over the years.
We made the decision to sell the property in 2015 as trade was starting to decline
with the encroachment of supermarket home deliveries. Our investment in
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becoming a Londis /Budgen store in 2012 Was removed at Christmas 2016 when
Tesco's acquired Londis and then cash & carry. The Post Office had also started to
lose a major Part of its business, following the Privatization of Royal Mail and its
viability was questionable.
16. We merely existed for the last few years and with absolutely no support from the
Post Office, who were absolutely ruthless by this stage. It was extremely difficult
living hand to mouth with a Noose tightening around your neck. From the day of my
interview in January 2002 until 2019 I never met my area manager Paul Garnham,
which is simply appalling.
17. We worked seven days a week, just getting Christmas Day off. We would walk our
dog at lunchtime on Christmas Day so that we would not meet the locals who would
always want something on your one day off.
18. In the early years, on the retail side we were very good at what we did, and winning
rural retailer of the year in 2005 was a great achievement. We supported local
growers and high quality independent suppliers until the supermarkets started to
encroach.
19. Between 2003 — 2006 we employed Elaine Manton who was a previous
subpostmistress. She had sold her shop and wanted a Part-time job. Elaine thankfully
was around when we changed over the Horizon system
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
SRAEENG AND SUPPORT
20. I received no training whatsoever prior to our purchase of the post office on Friday
30th June 2002. The Post Office were unable to arrange any training at their regional
office in Chippenham due to staff shortages.
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21,
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27,
28.
The existing postmistress therefore had operate the post office until her audit when
a changeover would take place.
We opened our new shop on Monday and I was not allowed into the post office. The
whole process turned out to be a complete and utter farce.
The audit is explained later.
My trainer arrived on Thursday morning following an extraordinary audit the day
previously, and was supposed to be with me for a week. She was shocked that I had
not had any previous training, however, after 3 days she was transferred somewhere
else. On that Thursday morning, which was my first day, I was ashamed that I did
not know what I was doing.
My trainer taught me how to operate the Horizon system and how to deal with
pension books and stamps. The convoluted navigation of the computer system was
an absolute nightmare.
My two weeks of training was done in three days, and I was simply left with the
training manual that had been written by someone who had never had to face a
queue of customers.
1 was told during those three days of limited training that the previous postmistress
had made errors, but they were not dealt with at audit. They would appear in about
three months’ time on my stock. I did get half a day extra training after one month
and that was it.
I received no further training and what training I did receive was entirely inadequate.
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HELPLINE
29. In the early days, I would contact the helpline on a daily basis. I was Persistent with it
and would say that I would shut my post office as I was determined to get to the
bottom of the problem. Eventually I managed to get the trainer to come back to my
Post office and complete the job.
30. I called the helpline less towards the end as I realised it was a futile exercise.
31. In 2005, a Post Office representative came to my post office and some new software
was installed. Myself RO: ind Geoff double-checked the stamps and cash before
the visit of the expert and all stock was put into the system, we counted every stamp
and penny. I checked! GRO} she checked me and Geoff checked us both as there
was so much distrust in Post Office Limited by 2005.
32, On balance day, 1 month later, the stock and cash were out of balance but no stock
or cash had been delivered by the Post Office. This deficit was impossible.
33. ! rang Chesterfield helpline and spent 4 hours on the phone with a Person called Alan
whilst the branch was closed, and together we reversed every single transaction for
that month to get the stock right. I followed his advice explicitly and got back to
Square one and it was fine. I was very lucky to speak to Alan, who knew that there
was an issue and was able to resolve it, he was extremely good at his job.
34. Had I not double-checked and checked again and kept a record of the figures we
would have been in the same situation as others with a deficit to pay back. As we
had not had any stock or cash delivered, we knew that it was definitely the computer
that was at fault. The Post Office knew by 2005 that there was a problem with the
Horizon system.
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35.
36.
In the early days there was help from the helpline if you knew what was wrong.
The helpline would tell me that I was the only one experiencing these problems. The
helpline staff were constricted to what they did.
SHORTFALLS
37.
38.
39.
40.
Al,
In this section, I set out in very brief detail my experience of shortfalls arising from
deficiencies in the Horizon IT 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.
I would estimate that throughout my position in the branch, I paid or the Post Office
deducted in the region of £5,000 to £10,000 over 20 years. I had errors of £1,000 and
I would constantly be hassling over it and having to get the correct paperwork.
In 2002 — 2003 I was horrified to discover that discrepancies that had occurred when
the previous subpostmistress was in place were my responsibility. The Post Office
head office in Chesterfield always worked in a minimum of 3 months in arrears with
corrections, There was not a total understanding the system and I spent a lot of time
disproving corrections.
In 2004, we had a burglary when my husband was distracted by a man who went
behind the counter pretending to fill a baby's bottle and he stole £700 in cash from
the post office drawer.
A Post Office representative, Collin Burston, told me that I was guilty of leaving a
door open and therefore I had to pay the debt back. The village had a collection to
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42.
43.
45.
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help us following this theft and gave us £500 to contribute to the Pay back. This was
the community who were horrified that the Post Office could act in such a way, they
were very sweet. A pensioner and others who were waiting for their pension were
queuing when Mr Burston came to the store and they heard my conversation with
Mr Burston and they organised the local collection.
There was no concern for our wellbeing from the Post Office. Geoff was traumatised
and gaunt by what had happened with the theft and was shocked at how a
representative from the Post Office could behave.
When we bought the shop and Post office, we put in outdoor and indoor security
cameras. If we wanted to steal the cash ourselves we wouldn’t have installed
security cameras, the cameras were there to protect ourselves and Post Office
Limited but the Post Office didn’t Protect their staff after trauma. All Post Office
Limited asked us was “when are you going to pay the money back”.
In 2008, I received a demand for £1,148.39 and as the letter was dated 01/04/2008, I
initially thought it was an April fool’s joke, but it had to be settled by 11th April by
cheque or by debit card.
In 2012 there were issues with NPower payments which resulted in a shortfall of
£424.13 and again a demand for Payment or a removal from salary.
Throughout my 20 years, I experienced numerous discrepancies but when the
computer sells a currency that you have to order and gives you an immediate deficit
that really is the limit.
A customer asked about the rates for Zloyts as he was travelling around Europe and
then on to Asia. Having given the rates on various countries by searching on the
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bureau page of the computer I hit the wrong button and there was no way it could
reverse, so I have an instant deficit for which I was responsible.
AUDIT AND INVESTIGATION
AuDIT AND INE
48.
49.
50.
51.
82.
53.
Audits and investigation took place in 2002, 2003 and 2012.
In the wine trade we were dealing with tens of thousands of pounds and carried out
monthly audits and stocktakes, I was fully conversant as to how audits worked until !
worked for the Post Office, where the system is shambolic and utterly arbitrary.
My first audit was carried out in 2002 on the day that I took over the post office. I
was invited into the post office to sign documents following the audit but I was not
allowed to be present during the audit. The auditor carried the audit out with the
previous subpostmistress.
As I was not present at the audit, I insisted that the stock count was carried out again
because if I was taking it over I wanted all the stock to be checked by me. The Post
Office Auditor said that this was not necessary sO 1 confirmed that I would not sign
anything until I had counted the stock. Several hours later, having counted all the
cash, stamps and postal orders, I agreed with a figure.
tn 2003, an audit was carried out by a very aggressive woman who reduced me to
tears. I received no notice of the audit and I had absolutely no idea what the auditor
was implying except that she insisted that I had arrears and that it was my fault.
The auditor arrived at my branch at 8 am, even though my post office did not open
until 9 am. She demanded that I go into the post office with her even though I was
busy with the village shop until 9 am.
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54. I let the auditor into the post office, she kept asking me where things were and
telling me to explain papers, Eventually I burst into tears as I had no idea what she
was on about and I went Out of the post office. I do not normally burst into tears,
55. The auditor’s tone was intimidating and she was bullying and bombarding me with
questions, asking, “what’s this” and “what's that”.
56. I stated that the training that I had received was appalling and told the auditor to
leave my branch.
57. It was at this audit where I discovered the Previous subpostmistress’s errors.
58. I called the helpline about the auditor’s attitude and behaviour. I asked for
59. In 2012, I had two women auditors who came early, before 9 am, and without
because I had never dealt with them.
60, The auditor complained about me leaving the door Open when I was getting them
both a coffee, and I later received a written warning stating that I had compromised
security. Demands were made for Paperwork that were not my transactions,
61. I had previously complained to my MP and the then business secretary, Ed Davey,
about Royal Mail stealing my business customers and I now believe that the audit
was a ploy to remove me as a Postmistress. I received no evidence of an adequate
investigation and certainly did not sign or acknowledge the written warning.
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62.
I have seen no evidence of any adequate investigation. I did receive a written
warning from the Post Office about an open door after the 2012 audit. I did not sign
the warning and nobody followed it up.
SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION
SUSPENSION ANDTENea'—
63.
64.
65.
I was not suspended by the Post Office.
Following the 2012 audit, the auditors were particularly aggressive and because I
never had an area manager, I never knew who would turn up or what was next in
line. It was always in the back of my mind what the Post Office could do next.
1 do not know how we kept our business and clung on. It is only now that I can think
sensibly on life.
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
avi AD er ———————E—e
66.
67.
68.
The Post Office did not pursue civil or criminal proceedings against me for the
recovery of the alleged shortfalls, however, I feared that they would as they would
send me letters following error notices. I lived in constant fear of shortfalls.
The Post Office were petty to the core. My husband Geoff was traumatised in the
process as well. I got a warning because Geoff, when he was my assistant, had the
same password for the computer as me. I asked for Geoff to be taken off the system
and I signed a form. From that day on Geoff no longer stayed in or went in to the
post office.
After a while the Post Office mentality slowly destroys you as a person and also
degrades what you are supposed to do in your day to day living.
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69. In 2002, my salary was £1,000 per month, however, by 2020 this was reduced to
£800.
70. I was 64 years old when I sold the village shop, and I was left with no pension. The
Post Office take more than they ever give. You work hard, provide love and care and
survive on peanuts. The Post Office were a destructive organisation.
LOSSES
71, I was led to believe that I had no alternative but to pay the shortfalls. I paid the Post
Office in excess of £5,000 to £10,000. I came under significant pressure from the
Post Office to clear and repay those shortfalls under the threat of criminal or civil
proceedings.
72. I experienced significant shortfalls with the Horizon systems and monies were
deducted from my salary. You were guilty until you proved you were innocent and
that could take many months. No interest was paid back on monies held.
HUMAN IMPACT
73. I was a subpostmistress during the relevant period and was someone who was directly
and adversely affected by the problems in the Horizon system
74. I participated in the mediation scheme, and received £700. I was a Claimant in the
group litigation, and as such, I am excluded from the Historic Shortfall Scheme. The
period of the Shortfall Scheme was to say the least misleading and something that
would not have been fairly mediated by the Post Office.
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75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
The Horizon system was designed originally by ICL and did not work for the
Department of Work and Pensions, so the Government of the day forced the Post
office to have that system and that is when Fujitsu took over.
As a result of being required to make good apparent shortfalls shown by the Horizon
IT System, shortfalls had to be rectified immediately and were deducted from my
salary.
Demands were made by the Post Office in writing quoting branch discrepancies that
had not even shown up on the system and quoting errors that I hadn’t even seen.
The Post Office’s attitude was that you were guilty until proven innocent. This was
annoying, as the Post Office would send accusatory letters and I wouldn’t know what
the letter was and I would start going back through 6/8 months’ worth of envelopes to
find what the letter was referring to.
it haunts you after a while, You have to prove you have not done something which is
not easy when you are bogged down with paper.
I still have letters from BIS shareholder executive Mike Whitehead and letters from Ed
Davey that clearly state how they intended to spend the £1.34 billion, given by
Government, to maintain the post office network. It involved subjecting postmasters
to new local contracts and also supplying the National Federation with more than £1
million to play lip service to postmasters.
When the compensation was paid out, I was asked by my solicitors, Freeths, to meet
the new sanctimonious Post Office CEO and 2 other subpostmasters who had also
been claimants in the Group Litigation. The meeting was to be at Chesterfield. The
purpose of the meeting was so that Post Office Limited could apologise.
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82,
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! was pushed into room with 3 Post Office agents and the other postmasters, I was not
even given a coffee or paper to write on, so I asked for it. We sat there for 2 hours,
and the Post Office agents grovelled, it was just dire, their mentality beyond anything I
have ever experienced.
During this meeting, we were told by senior management that Post Office Limited only
wanted 5,000 offices and they would be run like a cooperative. As the Post Office
Estate in 2019 was approximately 11,500 officesthat meant a huge closure
Programme. When questioned further, the subject was dropped.
During audits, I found it extremely distressing to be told by the auditors that they had
found discrepancies that I had no idea were there in the first place.
I was expected by Post Office Limited to instantly find the relevant documents relating
to discrepancies or wait for Chesterfield to turn up documents and that could take
months.
The accounts could not be rolled over each month without being brought to balance
and sometimes hundreds of Pounds would have to be put into the system to allow the
system to roll over,
My salary was unable to take one demand of £1,148.39 in January 2008 and it took
until April 2008 for the demands to be reduced to £47.60. I received no interest to
monies paid in arrears,
I would have to use takings from our retail business to pay the debt and shortfalls,
which reduce our personal income.
My health was not brilliant, I still live with cancer and hope it doesn’t come back again.
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90.
91.
92.
93.
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On-going stress is not good for you and the shortfalls and discrepancies from the post
office were giving me stress.
1am a strong person, but ! lost confidence in my ability to do things properly, I was
conditioned by the Post Office to do the minimum, which is awful. I could not function
well as a result of the stress.
I lived with the duties of being a subpostmistress 7 days a week. Towards the end,
being a subpostmistress was a job I detested, and I started loathing the people I saw.
I would call my post office my rat cage, as I felt like a rat trapped in a cage, it was
awful. The post office was a tight, enclosed, claustrophobic space. The post office was
a room 10ft by 8ft, in the front there was a re-inforce glass counter and a glass
reinforced metal door, this was Post Office Limited’s design. Inside the post office
there was one safe, a counter, and shelving had to be put in.
In 2016, Post Office Limited tried to cheer everyone up before they introduced Post
Office local. I said that I would not change my post office to local as I could not afford
it and it was not feasible. There was a lot of pressure and bullying on subpostmasters
to go local.
In 2005, after the Horizon IT System upgrade, my post office showed a huge shortfall.
Before this upgrade took place, I knew to the last penny exactly how much cash and
stock was in the post office.
The first balance after the system upgrade showed a huge difference in stock and, as
we had deliberately not had in any cash or stock, it was clear that the fault was not
with us but with the Horizon System. I shut the post office and spent an entire day on
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the phone to Chesterfield helpline resolving the duplication of the stock issue. The
Post Office knew the Horizon IT system was faulty.
97. There was no communication by Post Office Limited to the post offices about this
known error, which in retrospect is simply scandalous.
98. I fortunately was not accused or convicted of committing criminal offences but I did
receive a few written warnings, one of which was for failing to offer a certificate of
postage.
99. I have the deepest of sympathy for those who were wrongfully convicted and I
worried that !I would be prosecuted and convicted.
100. I joined the Post Office in 2002 as a subpostmistress of a small rural branch. I was not
interviewed by my area manager, as he was too busy, and in the following 20 years he
did not even have the courtesy to visit my office once.
101. I did not meet my new area manager until 2019 after I attended the reconciliation
meeting with Post Office Limited in Chesterfield.
102. My assistan ‘GRO! left after a couple of years. We had got to the stage where my
salary was not enough to pay her.
103. Geoff had to cope in the village shop on his own, whilst I was in the post office. This
had a detrimental effect on our business, especially at Christmas. 1 would see Geoff
struggling in the shop and I would be stuck sticking stamps on envelopes.
104. As an organization, Post Office Limited really were grossly incompetent to the core
and had little idea of the real world outside their corporate bubble.
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105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
Over the years of identity changes from Post Office Limited to Consignia to the
disgraceful selling of Royal Mail the trusted brand became a large noose around the
necks of Postmasters.
Subpostmasters were not allowed to be creative on their business side, and I was in
fact threatened with written warnings and had to remove the pay point machine,
which was installed to pay for TV license, this had helped our rural customers pay their
bills. As a result of having to remove the pay point machine we lost those customers
footfall.
Subpostmasters were not allowed to do anything that conflicted with Post Office
Limited’s branding. In 2002, ! wanted to sell national lottery tickets at our post office
but Post Office Limited said that my branch was not large enough. In later years the
Post Office took on national lottery and every post office had to have it. It was
removed from my post office as £800.00 a week was not enough income, however
within a three mile radius of us at that time there were two garages and 4 other post
offices doing lottery.
Post Office Limited had managed to lose TV licensing and many other services due to
an inability or unwillingness to tender for contracts. The community service ended up
being a glorified banking service.
The community's attitude towards me changed, I was no longer a part of their
community and instead became a servant for their benefit.
When the Post Office introduced the card machine, it changed the elderly customer's
way of doing things. They used to come to the post office with their book and have a
chat, but when it became a card account everyone became secretive, there was no
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communication and they no longer engaged. This Post Office change resulted in lost
community trust.
111. When Geoff and I set off to take over the post office in 2002, Geoff was a quiet and
unassuming man who enjoyed walking and cycling. Geoff has now ended up with type
1 diabetes and high blood pressure. He is less confident, demoralised and fearful of
what could happen next. Geoff suffered with depression. Slowly since we left the post
office and village shop, he has started to light up again.
112. Geoff and I tried to keep each other going whilst the sale of the village shop
protracted over 8 years.
113. Geoff and I have been married since 1984. We have a strong marriage and tolerate
each other. It was hard for me to see the effect the shortfalls and allegations had on
my husband.
114. I blame myself for taking on the post office in first place. The post office was my
decision because I wanted a quieter country life and to keep well after having breast
cancer. But the dream I tried to chase wasn’t what the reality was.
115. I resigned on medical grounds from Post Office Limited in December 2020 following an
armed robbery in the middle of the night in July 2020.
116. Three armed robbers smashed our shop. When this happened, Post Office Limited’s
security said that they were unable to make a 999 call as their second safe alarm had
not been activated. Had they done as requested, the criminals would have been
caught as the Police were only 5 minutes away.
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117.
118.
119,
120.
121.
122.
123.
Post Office Limited would not repair my post office and they said it was my
responsibility. I told them that if they didn’t repair the office I would not open my post
office.
Post Office Limited’s security staff drove down to my post office with check sheet from
Chesterfield to determine what had been damaged. He told me that Post Office
Limited would not pay to fix it. I therefore decided to resign, it was too much.
My new Area Manager came back from holiday and said that I could not resign. I told
him that I can and I will.
I cleared out my post office only to be told that I had to have an audit on 4th January.
This was pointless as the office was completely empty. We had left in December and
the money and stamps had gone back to Post Office Limited in December.
It was on-going torture and we feared for our lives, in our home above the shop. After
several incidents over the years, it became evident that perhaps there was a life away
from daily insults from a frustrated customer base and a company that simply did not
care.
The Federation of Subpostmasters were beholden to Post Office Limited and were
given substantial sums of money to play lip service to Post Office Limited
management. In the early days, membership was £40/50 pounds a month and was
deducted from my salary. An explanation about the NFSP’s accounts and spending
would be interesting. I do have a damning letter from George Thompson threatening
postmasters if they joined the cWu!
Having now retired from a lifetime of hard work, ! am still extremely angry that an
organization such as Post Office Limited and indeed the Federation of Subpostmasters
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can be considered seriously credible when they have squandered millions of pounds of
government money on deception and lies.
CONCLUSION
124. Post Office Limited have totally destroyed the past 20 years of my life.
125. I thought having survived breast cancer, the post office would be a new start for me in
the country and clean living but I was seriously mistaken.
126. I only survived my time with the Post Office because I helped in the early mornings
during lambing season and fed the orphaned lambs. I would look forward to that, it
was cathartic and it helped me get back some mental stability.
127. If we had not sold our business, I seriously believe that we would now be destitute,
We had to take a substantial reduction in the sale price, as no one would touch the
Post Office brand with a barge pole. Eight years is a long time to cling onto an
existence with your fingertips, and doing this statement has reopened up many
wounds that will now heal with time.
128. The day I moved away from the Post Office to Lincolnshire was wonderful. Geoff had
moved earlier and I met him there.
129. We now have a home, which is warm and cosy. Our home overlooks cows and I have
no neighbours. It was not nice having people coming into my home during my days off
threatening me, it made me question as to if there was any justice in this world,
130. 1 think Post Office Limited are a completely and utterly dysfunctional organisation that
has no interest in staff they employ or in the products that they sell.
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131. I believe that Post Office Limited are predatory and that they are there to close down
post offices and make money for somebody else. I think Post Office Limited are
fragmented and have been palmed off to Royal Mail, this is something that I loathe.
132. I think deep down there are still Post Office skeletons to come out and I want to get to
bottom of the Post Office mentality that caused cruelty. It has to be sorted.
133. I think the problems with Post Office Limited goes back to ministerial decisions taken
during the coalition government of the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives
formed in 2010. The ministerial decisions range from incompetent to wicked.
134. I would like the inquiry to find out the truth behind and the motivation for ministerial
decisions and oversight.
135. Money cannot buy my peace of mind but it can help people have lost everything.
136. I feel angered and hurt that Post Office Limited the Group Litigants had to pay £46
million on legal fees and legal costs to bring the action against the Post Office to
expose the Horizon System and this scandal. It is not right that ordinary citizens should
have to pay to expose a national scandal. Those responsible for this scandal should be
put in jail as it is corrupt to the core.
137. I want to know who authorised an unfit IT system and why they authorised it.
138. I would like a genuine and meaningful apology for all subpostmasters.
139. The Chair needs to be told that the Post Office has impacted communities which are
no longer communities because of Post Office Limited.
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140. There has to be a concerted effort to get the responsible individuals. It needs to be
done as a block, otherwise those responsible will walk away nicely.
141. I would like Vince Cable and Edward Davey to be cross examined about what they
knew and did.
142. Post Office Limited paid the National Federation money, and I would like to know
how much was paid to them and what it was spent on. I feel that there is something
wrong with the relationship between Post Office Limited and the National
Federation which is unhealthy to the core.
143. I am not particularly interest in financial redress as it is dirty money. I am fortunate
that we got out of the Post Office and were able to move and I don’t need money. I
need a quiet life where I can enjoy the quiet sunsets and big skies. However I would
like truth to come out in the public interest.
STATEMENT OF TRUTH
‘GRO.
Sally Mary Kathleen Stiidger
Yo
Signe
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