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Watch as Post Office inquiry hears closing statements for Phase 4

Oliver Browning
Friday 02 February 2024 10:29 EST
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Watch as closing statements are heard in Phase 4 of the Post Office inquiry on Friday 2 February.

Yesterday, three former subpostmasters had their decade-old convictions quashed at the Court of Appeal, taking the total number of quashed convictions due to the Horizon scandal to 100.

Allen Reynolds, Nilufar Ali and Davinder Bangay were cleared of their convictions for theft or fraud, each dating back to between 2008 and 2011.

Each of the former Post Office workers was ordered to carry out at least 100 hours of unpaid work in their sentencings, with two of the former subpostmasters ordered to pay back more than £10,000 each after then-unexplained shortfalls in their accounts.

The three appeals were lodged within the past two weeks and bring the total number of convictions successfully overturned to 100, including eight cases prosecuted by other bodies than the company.

More than 700 Post Office branch managers around the UK were prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their shops.

Hundreds of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses are still awaiting compensation despite the government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts.

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