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UK PM Sunak pledges action over post office scandal
While several impacted sub-postmasters have been compensated from the government, many others await justice.
Rishi Sunak / Image - X, @RishiSunak
The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is reviewing the compensation process related to an accounting scandal. The scandal allegedly wrongly implicated numerous sub-postmasters, including many of Indian descent, in fraudulent activities.
Addressing inquiries about the scandal linked to the malfunctioning IT system called Horizon, dating back to the late 1990s, Sunak confirmed that his Justice Minister is “looking” into the process of overturning wrongful convictions and providing compensation.
While the British government, which officially controls the Post Office Ltd, has awarded substantial compensation to several affected sub-postmasters, numerous others continue to endure prolonged delays.
“Obviously it’s something that happened in the ’90s, but actually seeing it and hearing about it again just shows what an appalling miscarriage of justice it is for everyone affected. It’s important that those people now get the justice they deserve, and that’s what the compensation schemes are about,” Sunak said, in an interview with the British media.
“The government has paid out about GBP 150 million (nearly US $2 billion) to thousands of people already. We want to get the money to the people as quickly as possible, that’s why there are interim payments of up to, I think, GBP 600,000 (US $762K) that can be made. There are three different schemes available and for anyone affected, they should come forward,” he added.
The matter has regained prominence with the recent broadcast of real-life ITV drama series titled 'Mr Bates Vs The Post Office' in the UK. The Metropolitan Police also confirmed that an investigation is underway into the Post Office Horizon for possible fraud offenses.
In addition to the affected group of over 700 sub-postmasters, dozens more individuals who were impacted by the faulty accounting system have sought legal assistance.
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