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Post Office inquiry live: Ex-boss Paula Vennells sorry for suffering of sub-postmasters - BBC News Post Office inquiry live: Ex-boss Paula Vennells cries and admits evidence to MPs wasn't true - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Inquiry counsel Jason Beer KC rattles through a list of sub-postmasters and postmistresses who had been acquitted after being accused of stealing money from the Post Office - all of whom had blamed Horizon for the accounting shortfalls. Following a short break the inquiry resumes with Jason Beer KC going over notes from a Post Office board meeting in 2012, where allegations of issues with Horizon were raised and dismissed by the firm's top lawyer at the time Susan Crichton.
Why were you telling parliamentarians that every prosecution involving Horizon had been successful and found in favour of the Post Office? he asks. The meeting record notes board members were told the firm had won every criminal prosecution using evidence "based on the Horizon system's integrity", as well as receiving positive reports about it from auditors.
Vennells breaks down in tears. Vennells says this is what most people in the Post Office thought was case at the time, but goes on to admit "clearly that was completely and totally inaccurate".
She says: "I fully accept now that the Post Office knew that, I completely accept it. Personally I didn't know it and I'm incredibly sorry it happened to those people and so many others." Beer concludes the line of questioning by asking how she thinks false information was given to her.
Vennells replies that it important to note she didn't believe the information was false, adding that it is unlikely other board members thought so too.
"If you're given information by the highest lawyer in the organisation, you take it completely as the truth."
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