Ex-Post Office company secretary questioned over Horizon scandal

even before she got to prison Tracy felstead had tried to kill herself twice the shame the strain of being sent down for something she wouldn’t dream of doing stealing more than £1,000 from pensioners the judge said I was 19 um when I got sent to prison um and it it was the worst of the worst I got I got sent to Holloway prison I was sent to six months and I saw stuff that nobody should experience ever um you know I saw a girl hang herself um and it that’s something that I I have to live with every single day and I’ll probably live with until the day I die with the key bosses under cross examination this week looking on Tracy felstead still so angry she cannot bear to watch the proceedings of the post office public inquir so what does she want then from people like former CEO Paula venel who appears tomorrow for 3 Days an apology is not not going to to help the fact of the matter is that you want to know why it happened who knew why and when when when this all started and I think through the inquire we we’ve seen quite a lot that we know that has happened and has been covered up and um but it’s yeah it’s I think for me naming names and being honest is is what I want just so that I can close that door and move on with my life at the inquiry today former post office company secretary alwin Lions obbe who worked her way up the organization over decades I do solemnly I do solemnly under cross- examination of Frank admission that as she strategized what to tell MPS or the media about the unfolding Scandal she was way outside the normal remit of a company secretary truth and nothing but the truth and nothing but the truth where in the role of the company secretary does this kind of a a role uh come in well it doesn’t faced with a briefing paper from 2013 for a meeting with James R bunot the MP campaigning for the sub postmasters she conceded to the inquiry that the post office simply wasn’t being honest with him and in the brief for James we we are silent on there are no you know we are silent on the fact that we have found bugs so this I I believe this is me saying we need to be upfront here she was brought back to 2013 again that year she was shown proof that the post office computer could alter sub postmaster’s balance sheets without them knowing and you are here finding out that for the first time there is evidence that Horizon has done something without reporting it to the sub postm that must have been quite a significant moment for you wasn’t it so I would have wanted to see the evidence of what they’ve got here what second site are are are saying and I I don’t remember seeing any evidence do you remember asking for the evidence um I don’t do you remember doing anything about this particular information I don’t because I think I would still have believed that the sub postmaster could see this this disconnect you’ve said in your witness she was shown another 2013 email this time from the second site forensic accountants accusing the post stop his of being obstructive and defensive she denied that I’m not sure we’ve seen any evidence at this point I think we I I think we’re just um we’re responding to allegations yes and and therefore maybe it appeared we were we were defensive alln Lions left the inquiry not keen to take questions your organization sent innocent people to prison are you prepared for prison yourself are you prepared to face prison yourself he’s walking on excuse me excuse me will you be sending back your OB excuse all the venal sent back I’m doing my job please oh Paula venel sent back her OB are you prepared to do the same are you prepared to do the same you made just so tomorrow at the inquiry the former post office CEO Paul of venel Britain’s most elusive business figure hardly seen in months and even when seen not heard all that it seems is about to change radically

For years, she’s remained silent over what she knew about the wrongful prosecution of subpostmasters.

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But tomorrow, the former head of the Post Office, Paula Vennells, will break that silence when she appears at the Horizon IT inquiry.

Today, it was the turn of the company secretary, Alwen Lyons, who was at every board meeting – and party to many secrets after 34 years in an organisation that caused untold suffering for hundreds of subpostmasters.

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23 comments

  1. Much as I despise so many of the thuggish / smug / arrogant / cruel / ignorant … people who work(ed) for the PO, I don’t think it’s right to harass them in the street.

  4. As all the bonuses, properties and cars purchased by the post office senior officials are proceeds of crime, crimes committed against the post office sub-masters I understand that it is the law in this country that they should be removed?

  5. Yes they must go to prison; Including all the post office solicitors, barristers the and all the CPS people involved including any Judges. All the judges need to return the £415,000.00 they were paid for every conviction.

  7. I am beyond furious, I am so so sorry you all went and still going through this absolute travesty. I can only hope all of the sub postmasters are financially compensated to the fullest and beyond. I am disgusted in the upper echelon of the post office.

  8. Good work from the reporter here: getting all up in the woman's grill: not letting her hide behind her umbrella, indeed breaking said umbrella. These people all need to be hounded until they do the honourable thing…

  9. Pillar of the community, high up in the Post Office, OBE too. Such a wonderful person and does so much good in the community including aiding and abetting people to be wrongly accused, convicted and jailed. But those people aren't part of her community are they. So they don't matter to her, and certainly not as much as her standing in her community.
    The disgusting face of UK ruling classes.

  10. Cannot bear to watch. Cannot bear to listen to their presumptions of guilt against good people. Arrogance appears to be number one prerequisite for getting a job in management at the PO.

  11. Surely it’s crime to lie under oath, no justice for the rich only put poor people in jail because they are easy targets and don’t have thousands to pay lawyers to defend them Disgusting

  12. Pretty interesting! So even when presented with the evidence they just didnt believe it – they all really thought like like. Waaaayyy tooo much faith that computing, the internet and software in general is to be trusted as robust! She doubts the system was wrong, its vice versa, they all should have doubted the system was right. Thats a particularly unsavoury and inconvenient position for Executives though because it means they have to entertain doubt and they dont look strong and authoritative and knowing (but they are often are incredibly ignorant and have little in the way of analysis or understanding)

    But honestly sending people to jail isnt really the right position to take when you arent sure… this wasnt hard to take a more measured position. Constantly saying the system was 100% infallible was really not the way to go.

  14. You need compensatory behaviour from the Post Office so that your income for life is at least where it would have been without the lies and subterfuge.
    Paula V cannot remember anything about sending her staff to jail , seems her memory loss is a convenience.
    I bet she remembers what to put in her fridge for the week.

  15. I've just finished listening to Alice Perkins. At first I thought just another disingenuous, faux apologetic, arrogant and dismissive lying old bat, chucking others under the bus with every reply! Now I think I can sum her up in one word. Insidious! See, the memory is a peculiar human trait. It can recall details from incidents that happened many decades ago, whilst not being able to recall details from last week. But one thing the memory cannot forget, and that is the Truth. It's always with us whether we want it to be or not, and we will ALL have to face the Truth in time. And that's the Truth! Many Blessings and Justice to all those wronged by the evil acts of others! 🙏⚖️🙏

  17. Complete deniel. Wanted evidence to show what the Independent Expert had found. Ridiculous and most stupid argument. The other reports had been fudged and tainted apart from Coyne in 2003. He reached the same conclusion even though evidence was witheld/surpressed for 15 plus years. They were appointed by the company.

  22. Conspiracy, perverting the course of Justice. Private prosecutions….. These cunts have got sone sleepless nights ahead of them

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