A former chair of the Put up Workplace has informed the Horizon IT scandal inquiry that in-house legal professionals suggested him towards sharing a report he commissioned on the accounting system.
Tim Parker, who held the position for nearly seven years from October 2015, stated he regretted taking the recommendation the findings of the assessment by Jonathan Swift in 2016 have been legally privileged.
He stated he couldn’t recall whether or not it was obtained orally or in writing from Jane MacLeod – normal counsel on the Put up Workplace.
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Counsel to the inquiry Jason Beer KC recalled Ms MacLeod had acknowledged, in her personal witness assertion, that she gave a briefing to the board on the findings and the report was out there to members on request.
However the inquiry heard that not one of the conclusions have been shared with the Put up Workplace board or the federal government, not to mention legal professionals for the lots of of sub-postmasters who, since 1999, had already been convicted of theft and fraud associated to their use of Horizon.
Mr Parker stated he believed the legal professionals would take the findings ahead and the report would later be shared with some attainable redactions.
The Swift assessment referred to as into query the energy of the proof the Put up Workplace needed to safe convictions.
Every has since been overturned however there stays frustration amongst victims over the pace of the compensation processes regardless of authorities intervention.
Mr Parker, beneath questioning from Mr Beer, dismissed any suggestion he was glad to bury the Swift assessment.
“What possible motive would I have had at the time from hiding this report from my fellow board members, other than receiving advice that I shouldn’t share it with my fellow board members?”
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“Bear in mind I had no axe to grind on this, I had no, any, vested interest in trying to protect the Post Office… It was simply the advice I received and I followed it”.
He stated he believed on the time the recommendation was made in good religion however acknowledged that, with hindsight, the motive might not have been within the pursuits of sub-postmasters.
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He added he couldn’t recall any briefing from Ms MacLeod, agreeing with Mr Beer there was no report of it in board assembly minutes.
Mr Parker additionally informed the listening to he had accomplished a lot soul-searching on whether or not to make a fulsome apology to the victims of the miscarriages of justice.
“At this time I used to be toying with making a gap assertion. Rise up, you say, ‘I’m deeply, deeply sorry’ as many individuals have accomplished, and there ensued a dialogue with individuals.
“Should I do this? Because I would like to say sorry. And the response I got was that ‘well you could do this but actually people have kind of got a bit tired of that and it all rings a bit hollow and you’re probably just going to annoy people more than give them any sense of your real desire to say sorry’.”
The inquiry is because of resume on Tuesday subsequent week.
