Fujitsu apologises for its role in Post Office IT scandal

Patterson has been in his current role since 2019 but has worked for Fujitsu since 2010.

Speaking to a committee of MPs during the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, Patterson said: “Fujitsu would like to apologise for our part in this appalling miscarriage of justice.

“We did have bugs and errors in the system and we did help the Post Office in their prosecutions of the sub-postmasters and for that we are truly sorry.”

“The information shared with the Post Office as part of our contract with them was very clear – the Post Office also knew there were bugs and errors.”

Patterson said he did not know why the company didn’t act at the time when it became apparent that the system had glitches.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “On a personal level I wish I did and following my employment in 2019, I’ve looked back on those situations for the company and from the evidence I’ve seen, I just don’t know.”

Patterson said the company has a “moral obligation” to contribute to compensation for sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted.

Earlier in the day, Alan Bates, the titular character in the drama, blamed red tape and bureaucracy on delays for sub-postmasters accessing compensation.

Neil Hudgell, a solicitor representing 400 people directly affected by the scandal and 77 sub-postmasters wrongly convicted by the Post Office, told MPs that just three people had been paid full and final compensation.

Jo Hamilton (behind Patterson in above picture) featured prominently in the TV drama and was wrongfully convicted of stealing £36,000 from the village Post Office she ran in Hampshire in 2006. She said she felt like she’s being “retried”.

“It just goes on and on and on,” she said.