Fujitsu Defends Profits Amid Post Office Scandal

Fujitsu’s European chief told MPs the firm should not be written off for continuing to win government work, even as it faces renewed scrutiny over the Horizon computer scandal that wrongly accused hundreds of sub-postmasters. Paul Patterson appeared before the Business and Trade Committee two years after telling the same group the company had a moral duty to help compensate those affected. He pointed to Fujitsu’s long-standing presence in the UK — roughly 40 years, about 5,000 staff and numerous subcontractors — and said the firm would step away from public contracts if ministers asked it to do so. That stance did little to ease anger in Parliament. MPs questioned why Fujitsu accepted around £500m of contract extensions tied to services that relied on Horizon, the software at the heart of what is widely regarded as one of the UK’s worst miscarriages of justice. More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted after the system made it look as if branch accounts were short; many were forced to use personal savings to plug apparent deficits. The government has allocated £1.8bn from the public purse for redress and has already paid out about £1.4bn. Fujitsu has pledged to contribute to that fund but, under sustained questioning, Patterson would not specify how much the company will hand over. He said the firm is awaiting the final conclusions of the official Post Office Horizon inquiry led by Sir Wyn Williams before committing a figure, and that auditors had advised it was premature to make a provision in its accounts. Campaigners expressed frustration. Jo Hamilton, a former sub-postmaster who has campaigned for compensation, told the committee she wanted Fujitsu to put money into the pot to ease the burden on taxpayers. Labour committee chair Liam Byrne said he found the firm’s reticence hard to accept given its role in the scandal and its ongoing work for government. Practically, Fujitsu has said it will not bid for new UK public contracts while the inquiry runs. Yet the Post Office remains tied to the Horizon system: it agreed an extension that will keep paying Fujitsu £41m for use of the software until March 2027, a move Patterson said followed a request from ministers. Police investigations into the broader affair continue. The hearing underlined a stark choice for ministers: enforce a financial reckoning now, or let a company implicated in a national scandal continue to provide paid services while taxpayers cover most redress. For many of the victims, the optics are as painful as the unresolved sums. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk | Read original article