The government’s lack of oversight allowed the Post Office to operate independently, leading to missed opportunities to prevent the Horizon scandal and the subsequent suffering. During a public inquiry hearing, it was revealed that the Post Office board was the only check on the organization, with the government shareholder relying on luck. Despite executives being aware of issues with the Horizon system, they allowed subpostmasters to be blamed for accounting shortfalls, resulting in financial ruin and criminal convictions. Former CEO Mark Russell admitted that the government should have been more involved and vigilant in overseeing the situation. Campaigners criticized the government for not intervening to prevent the prosecution of subpostmasters, despite being aware of the problems. Alan Bates, who led the legal challenge against the Post Office, criticized the civil service for influencing government ministers over the scandal. The Horizon scandal, first exposed in 2009, is considered one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in British history.
Government leaves monitoring of Post Office up to chance
