Post Office scandal culprits ‘may not face justice before 2028'
Commander Stephen Clayman said it will take longer for criminal trials to begin as police widen the investigation beyond people 'involved in the immediate decision-making'.
More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from Post Office accounts.
Hundreds of wrongly convicted sub-postmasters are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government saying that those who have had their convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.
The scandal marked one of the most widespread miscarriages of justice in British legal history.
It is understood that dozens of people have been classed as persons of interest in the investigation, with seven suspects identified.
However, Mr Clayman told the BBC: 'The teams need to be really meticulous and pay attention to detail.
'We are beginning to scope, looking at wider management. That will happen and is happening – it will just take time to get there.'
Victims 'desperate for accountability'
The investigation, known as Operation Olympos, has focused on perjury and perverting the court of justice during the wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters and the wider presentation of the Horizon IT system.
Police have described the inquiry as 'unprecedented' in size, with more than 3,000 potential victims and 1.5 million documents to be reviewed as evidence.
No decision about potential criminal charges will be made until the scandal's public inquiry has published its final report and investigators have 'thoroughly reviewed' its contents.
Tim Brentnall, a former sub-postmaster, said victims were 'desperate to see some kind of accountability', but supported the need for police to 'do it properly'.
A spokesman for the Post Office said: 'Post Office has co-operated fully and openly with the Metropolitan Police since early 2020 to provide whatever information it needs for its investigations.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
Family pay heartbreaking tribute to teen killed in crash who ‘brought love to everything he did' as driver, 36, jailed
A GRIEVING family have paid a heartbreaking tribute to their "beautiful" son who tragically lost his life in a fatal car crash. William Ray, 17, died when when woman in an Audi smashed into his Ford Fiesta. 4 The teenager, who had been stopped at temporary traffic lights, was killed in the horror crash along with his mate Eddie Shore, 18. Mum-of-two Natasha Allarakhia was driving her two young daughters when she crashed into William's Ford in North Rauceby, Lincolnshire. Allarakhia, 36, from Norwich — was sentenced to ten years in prison earlier this week. The court was told she was sipping alcohol while at the wheel and had been driving at 90mph before the crash. She also lied to the police to try to escape justice for her actions, the court heard. William's heartbroken mum, Sarah Barker, has now paid a touching tribute to her boy, who "brought love to everything he did". She said: 'Will was not just my only son, he was also my best friend, and I love him dearly. "Throughout his life, he brought me joy, love and hope in everything he did. "But not only that, he was a fantastic stepson, grandson and brother." Sarah told how William had a bright future ahead of him - and was about to embark on an aerospace engineering course at university. She added: 'Will's life was only just starting and he was looking forward to beginning the next chapter of it. He was both academic and athletic – not only was he gifted at gymnastics where he trained at Lincoln Gymnastic Club, but also a keen rugby player at Sleaford Rugby Club. "He was due to attend the University of Sheffield to study aerospace engineering, having successfully passed his A-levels, something he never got to see. 'As a mother, I will never get to see Will graduate, get married or make his future life. " William's father Steven has also paid tribute to his son: 'Will had been out celebrating with his friends as they concluded their A-level examinations and were returning home when he was taken from us. "He had been looking forward to a future of university, travel, relationships, all of which I know would have been filled with success. 'Will was the best of us, as a son, brother, grandson, and friend. A sportsman, academic and boyfriend – I genuinely believe that I never heard a bad word said against him. " 'We now all have to learn what a new normal will be for us without Will. He will never be forgotten.' 4 Lincoln Crown Court heard Allarakhia was disqualified from driving in January this year over failing to provide information about two speeding offences in the weeks before and after the fatal crash. At the time of the tragedy, she was "literally drinking and driving" as she sped around with her two daughters, aged seven and 12, in the back while sipping from a can of lager. She reached speeds of 96mph before crashing into William's stationary car at 70mph. The mum then laughed while taking a roadside breathalyser test and spent more than an hour lying to police. Data taken from the two cars showed Allarakhia did not take her foot off the accelerator until just two seconds before the collision. It also revealed she was just 121ft away from the Fiesta when her brakes were briefly applied. Prosecutor David Eager said William in comparison had shown "exemplary' driving before the crash in June last year. Allarakhia admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving and one charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She was also banned from driving for a total of 12 years and 8 months and must take an extended re-test before being allowed to drive again. Allarakhia wept and cried out "I'm so sorry" as William and Eddie's families read heartbreaking victim impact statements.
The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
There's only one way out of Labour's asylum hotel chaos – but will Starmer EVER do it?
Judge dread THE mums and dads of Epping have forced the Government to accept that the use of hotels to house asylum seekers is now unsustainable. Dozens of council leaders rushed forward yesterday to say they would be launching their own legal challenges. 1 But the Government remains clueless about where to put asylum seekers. Home Office minister Dan Jarvis muttered about 'appropriate' alternatives yesterday but could not explain what they might be. They must know that if large groups of young men are placed in blocks of flats and houses among communities that don't want them, then protests like the one seen in Epping will simply shift there instead. Labour has no answer to this and remains unwilling to accept the obvious short term solution: building secure detention centres. It's also ironic — after years of Labour's glorying in the Tories' struggles with activist judges — to see Keir Starmer now blown off course by a High Court decision. Aside from ending the benefits incentive for asylum seekers, there is only one way out of this for the PM. Work to reform the European Court of Human Rights and use new laws to deport illegal migrants immediately. Will he ever do it? Monster's ball WHY are prison chiefs treating the Southport killer like a naughty teenager instead of the sick monster that he is? Alex Rudakubana threw boiling water over a prison guard in a terrifying pre-planned attack from a landing. Protesters arrested near migrant hotel after 'asylum seeker guest' arrested on suspicion of assault His punishment was to have his 'privileges' taken away. Now the beast has his TV and DVD player back in a desperate bribe by prison governors to get him to behave. It's the same soft touch culture that allowed Soham double murderer Ian Huntley to stroll around his prison wing wearing a Manchester United lookalike shirt mocking his victims. Radicalised, sadistic and highly dangerous, Rudakubana will never change. Stop indulging him. Unhappy birthday WE wonder — as he sipped his bottles of Prosecco on his birthday — if Huw Edwards considered finally doing the right thing and returning the BBC licence-payers' money he trousered? The shamed star earned £200,000 in salary AFTER his arrest on child sex offences. Since pleading guilty and being fired, he has been living off his £300,000-a-year pension. But Edwards, a narcissist sex offender and bully, has never done anything remotely decent in his life. No doubt his victims will be hoping he choked on his bubbly.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Fare dodger granted bail despite owing £30,000 in penalty fines
One of the country's most prolific fare evaders committed 30 further offences while on bail, a court was told — but his sentencing was delayed when a judge raised concerns over the legal process. Charles Brohiri, 28, who had been charged with more than 100 counts of travelling without a train ticket, was caught fare-dodging as recently as Monday, the prosecution said. He owed more than £30,000 in penalty fares issued by Govia Thameslink ticket inspectors, the court heard. He was convicted of 36 offences of fare evasion in April, when a further 83 offences were put aside. • On the front line of London's fare dodging epidemic Brohiri, who is homeless, had been banned from entering any Thameslink station as part of his bail conditions in May. Alistair Richardson, for the train company, said: 'It's only right we make the court aware that since that case, there have been 30 further offences. The first was on May 9 and the most recent was two days ago, on August 18. That is also set in the context of putting aside 83 further offences.' Brohiri was due to be sentenced for the 36 offences on Wednesday at Westminster magistrates' court but the hearing was adjourned until December after the judge raised concerns over whether the case against him began with a lay prosecutor. They are not legally qualified but rail companies have used them to present fare evasion cases in magistrates' courts. Last week rail firms were warned by the Department for Transport that it was a criminal offence to let non-lawyers act as prosecutors in court cases where passengers were accused of not buying the correct ticket. Judge John Zane said he needed to be satisfied whether the proceedings began with a lay prosecutor, 'whether they were valid and whether there are material consequence as to whether it began with a lay prosecutor'. He said 'the court has to grapple with these arguments'. The delay will allow the judge to hear legal arguments on the matter in what could be a test case that determines whether thousands of others have convictions for fare evasion wiped. Only qualified lawyers, such as solicitors and barristers, are legally allowed to conduct criminal prosecutions. However, for decades train fare evasion prosecutions have been brought by staff who are not fully qualified. Brohiri now argues that many of his convictions were obtained unlawfully by Thameslink because the prosecutor previously in charge of his case, Gareth Ring, was a lay prosecutor. Thameslink applied to have Brohiri remanded in custody pending his sentencing, given he had already broken his bail conditions on more than 30 separate occasions and could not be trusted not to breach them again. The judge declined, granting bail but amending the wording of the conditions to ban Brohiri from getting on any Thameslink train. • ScotRail to introduce first penalty tickets for fare dodgers 'It's very important you take these bail conditions seriously,' he told Brohiri, adding: 'You don't get on any train without having the money.' Brohiri did not speak during the hearing, other than to confirm his email address and that he was of no fixed abode. He will appear at the same court on December 16. The Rail Delivery Group, an association of train companies, said: 'All train operators take their legal responsibilities very seriously and make sure they always act fairly towards customers. 'As a result of new legal advice on the use of lay prosecutors, train companies are taking steps to review the way they carry out prosecutions, so they are certain they comply with their legal obligations and make sure they are fair and robust.'
