Fujitsu, the firm behind the Horizon software at the heart of the Post Office scandal, is “certainly” expected to pay out compensation, a government minister has said.
Business secretary Kemi Badenoch told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Philips that she has written to the Japan-based chairman of Fujitsu to arrange meetings.
Asked whether she expected to see Fujitsu paying compensation to the wrongly convicted sub-postmasters and mistresses, as dramatised in ITV’s Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, Badenoch said: “I certainly expect that that will happen in due course.”
She added: “But it is absolutely right that Fujitsu takes part in making sure that all of the postmasters receive full and fair compensation.
“Previously we’ve been waiting till the end of the inquiry and it is important that we get to the end of that inquiry to know what should happen.
“But Fujitsu is a part of this, they are very much a part of this story, it’s not just Post Office management, and I hope that they will do the right thing.”
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It came after the government asked Post Office chairman Henry Staunton to resign on Saturday.
The business secretary also stressed that setting a deadline for delivering full compensation to the victims was “not the priority” but that ministers were moving “as quickly as we can”.
She said: “The Prime Minister has said we’re not setting a deadline… we are moving as quickly as we can. I promise, we couldn’t move any faster than we already have been.
“There are multiple moving parts and setting a deadline is not the priority, getting the money out, getting fair compensation, sorting out governance of the Post Office, is the critical thing.”
A spokesperson for Fujitsu said: “The Fujitsu Group regards this matter with the utmost seriousness and offers its deepest apologies to the sub-postmasters and their families.
The UK statutory public inquiry, to which our UK subsidiary is providing full cooperation, is examining complex events that have unfolded over many years, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to this cooperation.
Based on the findings of the Inquiry, we will also be working with the UK government on the appropriate actions, including contribution to compensation.”