Horizon Probe Risks 5-Year Delay as Police Seek £16.5 Million More
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 26
Horizon Probe Risks 5-Year Delay as Police Seek £16.5 Million More
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 26
A five-year delay could hit the criminal investigation into the Post Office Horizon scandal unless police secure millions of pounds in extra funding, with prosecution files currently targeted for late 2027 or early 2028.
£16.5 million is missing from this financial year's budget, commander Stephen Clayman said, leaving the inquiry unable to double its team from 111 detectives by adding the 99 more officers he says are needed.
Eight million documents are already being examined and 13 of 53 suspects have been interviewed under caution, including seven more this year, as investigators build cases they believe can meet the high charging threshold.
More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted after the Horizon system generated false shortfalls, making the case one of Britain's biggest miscarriages of justice and intensifying pressure for accountability and faster redress.
Why could a £16.5M funding gap delay justice for Post Office victims by another five years?
Why are taxpayers funding the £2B bill while the firm responsible, Fujitsu, still profits from public contracts?
Operation Olympos in Crisis: Funding Gaps Threaten Justice for Thousands in Post Office Horizon IT Scandal
Overview
Operation Olympos, the criminal investigation into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, is facing a serious funding shortfall that threatens to delay justice for victims. Despite previous government funding, more money is urgently needed to keep the investigation moving forward. Commander Stephen Clayman has warned that many victims have already suffered for up to 24 years, with some passing away before seeing justice. The police are under pressure to act quickly, but without substantial financial support, further delays are likely, putting timely justice at risk for those who have waited the longest.