Fujitsu Urged to Make Immediate Interim Payment for Horizon Victims

A parliamentary business and trade committee has demanded that Fujitsu Ltd. provide an immediate interim payment toward the £1.5 billion compensation fund for victims of the Post Office’s Horizon scandal. Committee chair Labour MP Liam Byrne warned that delayed justice has become “justice denied” and urged the government to allocate any needed resources to settle outstanding Horizon shortfall claims by year-end.

The Guardian

Fujitsu supplied the Horizon system to the UK Post Office in the 1990s. Audits showed the software produced accounting discrepancies that led to the wrongful prosecution of thousands of operators. The case is described as the worst miscarriage of justice. An inquiry chaired by judge Sir Wyn Williams released a report highlighting an “adversarial” stance by the Post Office and its advisers.

The Guardian

The compensation bill totals roughly £1.5 billion, funded by UK taxpayers. Under the Horizon shortfall scheme, successful claimants may receive a fixed £75,000 payment or pursue a higher amount. The committee’s March review noted many offers were overturned on appeal, prompting calls for a transparent timetable for Fujitsu’s contribution.

The Guardian

Fujitsu said contributing to compensation is “the right thing to do” and that any agreement will be reached with government after Sir Wyn Williams publishes the inquiry’s findings. A government spokesperson recognised progress in redress but stressed the need to avoid “undue pressure on vulnerable claimants” and to continue processing cases swiftly. Fujitsu is negotiating a settlement with the UK government but has not yet contributed to the £1.5 billion compensation fund.

The Guardian

Committee chair Liam Byrne criticised Fujitsu for “sitting on the sidelines” and for not disclosing the scale or a timetable for its liability. He called the absence of an interim payment “extraordinary” given the company’s central role in what he described as the greatest miscarriage of justice in British history.

The Guardian

• “justice delayed has become justice denied” — Liam Byrne, Labour MP, chair of the business and trade committee

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• “We believe it is the right thing to do for Fujitsu to contribute to compensation and, as we have consistently stated, this will be agreed with government after Sir Wyn has published the findings of his inquiry. Our conversations with government regarding our contribution are ongoing.” — Fujitsu spokesperson

The Guardian

• “We believe it is the right thing to do for Fujitsu to contribute to compensation and, as we have consistently stated, this will be agreed with government after Sir Wyn has published the findings of his inquiry. Our conversations with government regarding our contribution are ongoing.” — Fujitsu spokesperson

The Guardian

• “Some claims are more complex and take longer to resolve, and we must avoid placing undue pressure on vulnerable claimants.” — Government spokesperson

The Guardian

The second and final part of Sir Wyn Williams’s inquiry, expected to examine Horizon’s technical flaws and the cultures of the Post Office and Fujitsu, has not yet been scheduled. Fujitsu’s chair Hidenori Furata recently resigned after allegations of inappropriate conduct. The government affirmed it will keep processing claims while awaiting the inquiry’s full report.

The Guardian