Former Fujitsu engineer Gareth Jenkins, who helped design the flawed Horizon system, faced the Post Office inquiry for the first of four days. The system has been at the center of controversy for wrongfully prosecuting hundreds of branch bosses. One of those bosses, Seema Misra, has refused to accept Jenkins’ apology.
During his testimony, Jenkins claimed that the Horizon system is still functioning well, despite facing criticism from a judge. He was the primary expert witness in the flawed prosecutions, but now he is disputing his own expertise.
Lead counsel Jason Beer KC paused his questioning of Jenkins, who was described as the “IT architect” of the Horizon system. Jenkins maintained that he was not responsible for the system as a whole, but only had oversight on a bug by bug, branch by branch, case by case basis.
The inquiry will resume at 10:05am tomorrow, with further questioning of Jenkins. For a deeper understanding of the Post Office scandal and its key players, read on below.
[Line break]
Inquiry explained: What is the Post Office scandal?
The Post Office scandal involves the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of branch bosses, who were accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting. These accusations were based on discrepancies in the Post Office’s accounting system, known as Horizon.
[Line break]
Who are the key players?
Gareth Jenkins, a former Fujitsu engineer, is one of the key players in the scandal. He helped design the flawed Horizon system and is currently testifying in the inquiry. Seema Misra, one of the wrongfully prosecuted branch bosses, has refused to accept Jenkins’ apology.
[Line break]
Live reporting by Jess Sharp and Ollie Cooper
Stay tuned for live updates on the Post Office inquiry, as former Fujitsu engineer Gareth Jenkins continues his testimony. Lead counsel Jason Beer KC has paused his questioning for the day, but will resume tomorrow at 10:05am. Scroll back through this blog to see how the day’s events unfolded and for a better understanding of the scandal and its key players.