What's happened
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells is facing scrutiny for her handling of the Horizon IT scandal, with revelations that she wanted to continue prosecuting subpostmasters despite concerns from senior officials, suggested using less emotive language to describe the faulty system, and defended the system by implying subpostmasters were tempted to borrow money from tills.
Why it matters
The revelations from the inquiry shed light on the controversial decisions made by Paula Vennells during her tenure as Post Office chief executive, raising questions about her leadership and the impact on subpostmasters wrongfully convicted due to the faulty Horizon IT system.
What the papers say
The Mirror reported that Paula Vennells wanted to continue prosecuting subpostmasters despite concerns from senior officials. BBC News highlighted how Vennells defended the Horizon IT system, suggesting subpostmasters were tempted to borrow money from tills. Sky News focused on Vennells' use of language, suggesting less emotive terms to describe the system.
How we got here
The Horizon IT scandal involved the wrongful conviction of hundreds of subpostmasters based on evidence from the faulty Horizon software. The inquiry is investigating the Post Office's handling of the scandal and the impact on subpostmasters who faced prosecution and financial losses.
Common question
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Post Office Ltd is a retail post office company in the United Kingdom that provides a wide range of products including postage stamps and banking to the public through its nationwide network of post office branches.
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A post office is a public facility that provides mail services, including accepting of letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery.