Paula Vennells was done the other week, the Post Office Inquiry is now questioning associates and others - thread 3

[nauticant]

A continuation of this thread:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5081592-paula-vennels-being-questioned-at-the-post-office-inquiry-followed-by-others-thread-2

When the hearings are going on, live-streaming can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/@postofficehorizonitinquiry947/featured

All of the previous hearings can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/@postofficehorizonitinquiry947/videos

Jarnail Singh was not only incompetent but also dishonest in his disclosures to defence teams. Wasn't he also running his own private side businesses doing conveyancing at the same time?

It also appears that the PO's sudden dissatisfaction with SS came at around the same time that SS was revealing that the PO had concealed evidence. Astonishing that the PO sent lawyer letters to threaten SS.

This is the bit I was looking forward to - Ian and Ron reading the internal emails between the Post Office, talking behind Isn and Ron's back.

It must be fascinating for them to now see what the PO was really saying about them.

Effectively SS was working with one hand tied behind its back, because PO concealed massive amounts from them. Actually, probably one hand and most of the fingers on the other hand too.

'What did they give you?' asks Mr Beer.

<laughter in court>

One of the most significant failures of Susan Crichton is that whenever she was presented with any aspect related to criminal matters, she would reply "not my area, you need to speak with Jarnail Singh [who we all know is incompetent]".

Hard to believe that Jarnail Singh was the Head of Criminal Law at the Post Office.

This is an interesting piece about Mr Singh.

https://www.postofficescandal.uk/post/more-singhd-against-than-singh-ing/

That is what it so nuts about this.

I'm just trying to imagine a scenario where someone says to my manager "We have serious problems with Minou's work and there are legal problems"
And my manager replies "this isn't my area, i dont know understand the problems, go speak to Minou about it"
It would never happen

Jason Beer KC raised a very significant point: if SS were concerned about miscarriages of justice and did raise this, why did they then duck the chance to raise it in the written record? I expect the answer is that SS knew this was likely to trigger a lot of shit to fall on their heads and would lead to even greater obstructive behaviour by Post Office.

Another interesting thing: my young adult son (20s) said to me earlier that he became aware of the PO scandal long before the TV drama (through wider social media e.g. blogs and podcasts), and he's pleased that I'm watching so much of the Inquiry.

This is a scandal that has multi-generational resonance. This kind of nightmare could happen to any one of us, or our relatives. It shows how the mundanity of mediocrity can create what are nigh on evil outcomes.

Just started watching. 👏👏👏 to Ian Henderson for updating his statement to add “Sir”.

Simon Baker was unaware that he was the manager of a Post Office team inside Fujitsu. Much laughter from the room.

Dear God.

I knew about the scandal in background terms for many years but I started to properly follow it as a result of The Great Post Office Trial on Radio 4 in, I think, 2020. That gave me on overall framework which, ever since, I've been able to slot things in to as I've learned them.

https://www.postofficetrial.com/2020/05/bbc-radio-4-series-great-post-office.html

minou123 · Today 10:26

It's like when I was trying to explain a VCR to a 12 year old!

Things are so different now, it used to be that you had to dragoon a passing 12 year old to work the damn thing for you!

Quebeccles · Today 11:26

'What did they give you?' asks Mr Beer.

Mostly the runaround.

AutumnCrow · Today 11:42

Another interesting thing: my young adult son (20s) said to me earlier that he became aware of the PO scandal long before the TV drama ....This is a scandal that has multi-generational resonance.

There was an 18 year old subpostmaster near us, who was caught up in it. 18 years old, he was the youngest ever in Britain. Does your lad know about him?

'The ferocity of the strength of feeling that was put to me ... by the Post Office ' [re SS pursuing the conflicts of evidence any further]. SS thought they [SS] might be sacked; so they 'tucked it away' for later.

The POL really liked intimidating people, is my impression.

I'll ask him, @SinnerBoy. He's usually pretty switched on.

I came to all this via Private Eye and subsequently MN.

Interesting bit of filling in detail from this morning, that Post Office were largely clueless about Horizon and not interested in how it worked, except as a black box that would provide flawless output.

Maybe "unimpeachable" rather than "flawless".

Blimey. Chris Aujard and his threat to Henderson that if SS stepped out of line, Post Office would go after them and would see them bankrupt.

These revelations just won't stop coming.

Chris Aujard came across as aggressive and ambitious ...

Gosh, what a surprise….

IH thought it might involve £300 million in compensation. At least. Blimey.