The former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has said she will hand back her CBE with immediate effect amid the fallout of the Horizon IT scandal which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of post office operators.
In a written statement issued to the PA Media news agency, Vennells said: “I continue to support and focus on cooperating with the inquiry and expect to be giving evidence in the coming months.
“I have so far maintained my silence as I considered it inappropriate to comment publicly while the inquiry remains ongoing and before I have provided my oral evidence. I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE.
“I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.”
Vennells was the chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, when the organisation routinely denied there were any problems with Horizon and pursued prosecutions against hundreds of post office operators.
She said in Tuesday’s statement: “I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.
“I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded.”
More details soon …
