Sun, 06 Jul 2025

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 Post Office scandal victim: 'I need someone to be punished'

Sub-postmasters look forward to the first part of a report into the Horizon IT scandal being published.

* Harjinder Butoy, a former sub-postmaster who spent 18 months in prison and 15 years clearing his name, says he may not watch the official inquiry's report on Tuesday because it will bring back bad memories.
* The Post Office scandal is believed to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in UK history, with thousands of victims wrongly blamed for financial losses from a faulty computer system.
* Over 900 people were prosecuted and 236 sent to prison, including Butoy who was convicted of stealing £200,000 despite being innocent.
* The inquiry has heard from 189 people about the impact of the scandal on their lives, including losing businesses, homes, and reputations.
* The report's second part, which will examine how the scandal happened and why, may not be published until 2026.
* Many victims are still waiting for compensation, with over £1bn paid out to 7,300 sub-postmasters but hundreds more disputes and cases pending.
* Harjinder Butoy has only just submitted his claim for compensation after three years of gathering paperwork.
* His solicitor says that if the situation doesn't improve, full and fair redress could take another two to three years.
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