Former Wallasey sub-postmaster 'not expecting much' from ex Post Office boss at inquiry
Paula Vennells is set to give evidence
A former Wallasey sub-postmaster says he is 'not expecting very much' from ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells' appearance at the inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal.
Ms Vennells is set to give evidence today - she served as CEO of the Post Office between 2012 and 2019.
More than 700 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted and given criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as a result of the faulty IT system - which made it appear that money was missing at their branches.
Pete Murray ran two post offices - one in Wallasey and the other in Great Sutton.
He was wrongly accused of stealing thousands of pounds from the Post Office, which led to him suffering a stroke.
Pete said:
"I will be watching it (Ms Vennells appearance at the inquiry), but to be honest, I don't expect very much.
"So far, all I've seen from pretty much most of the people involved in the inquiry have all been lots of lies and lots of dishonesty and concealment continuing.
"She (Ms Vennells) either admits she's guilty (of knowing exactly what was happening) or deny it - and I can't see her admitting that she's guilty. I would imagine she'll probably try to start passing the buck and say 'I was told this and I was told that'.
"They should feel absolute shame"
"They should feel absolute shame, they should have trouble sleeping at night. I don't want to wish bad on people, but at the same time, they deserve nothing."
"Nobody is able, in any position whatsoever at the Post Office, to say 'it didn't happen on my watch, I didn't see anything, that happened somewhere else.'
"Every single person has witnessed it and every single person has kept quiet about it, all the way up to Ms Vennells."
Ms Vennells last spoke publicly in 2015 when being questioned by a committee of MPs.
She stepped down from the Post Office in 2019 and handed back her CBE in January 2024, after listening to 'calls from sub-postmasters and others' to return the honour.
She is expected to give evidence for three days, starting today (Wednesday 22 May).
In a statement from her solicitors, Ms Vennells said:
"I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.
"I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded."