Watch: Post Office inquiry hears Paula Vennells’ final closing statement after two years of evidence

Watch as Paula Vennells' closing statement was heard in the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry on Tuesday, 17 December.

More than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it appear that money was missing from their accounts.

Hundreds of them are still waiting for compensation — despite the previous Conservative government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.

The inquiry began in 2022; since then a total of 270,785 documents have been disclosed to core participants and 298 witnesses have given evidence, counsel to the inquiry Jason Beer KC said.

The former Post Office boss will be among those giving their final closing statements on Tuesday.

In written submissions made by Ms Vennells’ legal team, she continued to deny knowledge of the extent of bugs in the Horizon system which subsequently led to wrongful convictions.

Her lawyers said: “Ms Vennells cannot, and does not, try to hide from the fact that whilst CEO she did not manage to uncover the truth about the extent of the bugs, errors and defects in Horizon.

“She simply did not get the information which she ought to have been given by her senior team, whom she trusted and to whom she delegated responsible roles.”

In its written submissions, the Post Office said: “Some of the evidence has been deeply uncomfortable for [the Post Office] to hear and the mistakes that were made, and opportunities missed, when viewed through the sharp prism of hindsight, are ones which [the Post Office] deeply regrets.”