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Post Office inquiry live: Lawyer returns to inquiry for second day of grilling - BBC News Post Office inquiry live: Lawyer returns to inquiry for second day of grilling - BBC News
(about 1 hour later)
Theo Leggett Emma Simpson
Business correspondentBusiness correspondent
More One of the most interesting areas of questioning has been the
difficult questioning for Rodric Williams at the inquiry this morning. issue of remote access.
To Sub-postmasters were repeatedly told that no one else
kick off, he was asked what he knew about advice from an external lawyer but could access their branch accounts. Prosecutions hinged on this crucial
working for the Post Office that minutes of a conference call may have been point.
destroyed – and potentially shredded. Rodric Williams commissioned the Deloitte Report on Horizon in 2014,
In which Second Sight independent investigators weren’t even aware of. It finds
particular, he was asked – repeatedly – what action he had taken to ensure such remote access was possible, without postmasters knowing about it, but it would
an allegation was fully investigated. have to be a deliberate act.
His Yet at the same time Second Sight and BBC Panorama were
initial answer? “I don’t know what you mean by fully investigated.” being told it wasn’t possible.
That Williams said he’d “missed”’ these key
led to a tetchy exchange with the inquiry counsel, Jason Beer KC. details of the Deloitte report, despite being the point man on it. He didn’t
Beer repeatedly pressed him over whether any investigations had been carried recall anything being done to correct the statement to the BBC and thought only
out at all. minimal steps were made to clarify this key question the SS team had also been
Williams admitted such allegations should have been investigated, but had they? raising.
He didn’t know. What the Post Office was saying publicly was very different to the
Later, emails flying behind the scenes.
attention turned to a Deloitte report on the reliability of the Horizon It
system, commissioned by Williams.
We
were shown an email, in which he told the firm how the Post Office wanted to
respond to allegations the system was faulty, and show it was robust and fit
for purpose.
He
was asked whether he was pre-empting the report’s conclusions.
His
response was that there are many things people want, but they don’t always get
them.
Beer: “Is that your best answer?”
Later, he was asked about his involvement in inaccurate
statements being given to the BBC and to the forensic accountants Second Sight
about the integrity of Horizon.
At the time, the Post Office claimed Horizon could not be
remotely accessed – but Beer presented an email and a report which made it
clear remote access was possible.
Williams admitted he had made a mistake – and that lines
prepared for the media were inaccurate.
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