Latest news with #RabThomson
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We're giving Horizon compensation claims kick up the backside'
A former sub-postmaster wrongly convicted of embezzlement has launched a support group to speed up compensation payments for victims of the Post Office scandal. Rab Thomson said he wanted to give those issuing redress to affected people in Scotland a "kick up the backside". More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after the faulty Horizon IT accounting system, designed by Fujitsu, made it look like money was missing from branch accounts. Mr Thomson, who had his 2006 conviction quashed last year, said he hoped the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress Group would allow those pursuing compensation in Scotland to access legal help. He said the group would also offer medical support for those who have developed mental health issues. The Horizon scandal has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in modern times. Former postmaster's joy after conviction quashed 'Post Office compensation wait is taking its toll' Mr Thomson, from Alva, took over the Post Office in Cambus, near Alloa in Clackmannanshire, from his mother Margaret in 1999. In 2004, he was prosecuted after an audit found a shortfall of about £5,700 and sentenced to 180 hours community service. His mother died before he was able to officially clear his name. Mr Thomson said the group, launched alongside the National Federation of Sub-Postmasters (NSFP) and former MP Marion Fellows, would help those seeking financial redress through the complicated legal system in place in Scotland. He said: "No matter how much money you are going to get, it will not bring back my mother or people who took their own lives. "What we're looking for is people to be happy again and forget what happened in the past, because we went through complete torture and there's no one in Scotland that we could turn to at any time and ask for advice. "So hopefully, we're doing the right thing and we move on from there and I would feel really appreciated if people come forward and speak to me." Legislation exonerating wrongly-convicted victims in Scotland came into force last year. The Scottish government identified 141 potential cases after the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences (Scotland) Bill became law in June 2024. A total of 96 were assessed as being affected by Horizon. By February 2025, 64 sub-postmasters had their convictions quashed, while 11 cases are still being assessed. The Scottish government oversees legal ramifications such as quashing convictions for victims. However, financial compensation is handled by the UK government through the Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme (HCRS). About £768m has been paid out to 5,100 claimants across the UK, from a potential 9,800. Mr Thomson said Scotland lagged behind England and Wales when it came to issuing compensation payments. He said: "I know there is a lot of elderly people out there from Scotland who are frightened to come forward. "What we are trying to do is get the redress to the people who are entitled to it. "Because it has taken so long in getting the money to the people, we want to kick them up the backside and get this moving quicker." The case was brought back into the public arena by an ITV drama that followed the scandal being uncovered. It charted the work of campaigner Alan Bates, who has fought for wrongly accused sub-postmasters for decades. Calum Greenhow, chief executive of the NSFP, said there were more victims who were yet to come forward. He said he was still receiving phone calls from those who have been affected by the scandal "every day" and added there could be further victims who were impacted by previous Post Office systems called Capture and Ecco+. Mr Greenhow, a former postmaster of 29 years, said the group would allow those in Scotland to access local solicitors. He said: "These are individuals who have been so badly let down in so many different ways that their confidence and their trust in the authorities has been detrimentally damaged. "Scotland has a different legal system to England and Wales and we need to make sure that everyone within Scotland is dealt with properly and fairly and they also have somewhere local to come to get that help and support and get their names restored and any redress required."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Post Office scandal victim sets up Scottish support group
A FORMER sub-postmaster and victim of the Horizon scandal has set up a new support group for Scottish postmasters. Rab Thomson, from Clackmannanshire, is set to launch the Scottish Postmasters for Justice and Redress (SPJR) group in Holyrood on Wednesday. Thomson, who had his conviction overturned in January 2024, now wants to help others in Scotland to get the same outcome. READ MORE: Anti-abortion group active in Scotland receives over £1 million in US funding The group aims to support victims of the Horizon scandal and encourage them to apply for redress, even if they were not convicted. Due to the different legal system in Scotland, Thomson believes a peer support group is needed. He said: 'I am the first postmaster in Scotland to get my conviction overturned by the courts. 'I felt I needed to do something to get other postmasters to come forward. 'Scotland are the sleeping dogs in this case and many victims are unaware of how they can be exonerated or what redress options are available to them. This is why we have set up this group.' He continued: 'We want as many of our ex-colleagues to come forward and attend the launch so they will receive redress, which they are all entitled to, having suffered through the biggest miscarriage of justice in our time.' The group estimates that around 140 people in Scotland were prosecuted due to issues with the Horizon IT system. They argue that many affected by the scandal are reluctant to engage with Post Office Limited, meaning they do not receive the compensation that they deserve. In May last year, MSPs passed a law which exonerated Scots wrongly convicted by the scandal. The law is intended to allow Scottish postmasters to access a UK compensation scheme. Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs Angela Constance (below) said this legislation has so far led to 64 convictions being identified as quashed. She said: 'I am pleased the legislation the Scottish Government brought forward last year has now resulted in 64 people having their convictions identified as quashed and therefore access to redress from the UK Government as a result. 'The Scottish Government continues to encourage anyone who considers they suffered an injustice to come forward. READ MORE: Are Scottish secondary schools showing Netflix's Adolescence? 'There is no time limit under the legislation and the Scottish Government will always look into any cases where people give their name as a possible miscarriage of justice case.' The group has also received support from former Motherwell and Wishaw MP Marion Fellows. The Post Office scandal refers to sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted of offences such as fraud due to faulty Horizon software.
