Pc Weekly finds callous feedback made by a senior Fujitsu govt about Put up Put of job scandal inquiry file
By
Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
Printed: 08 Oct 2025 15:10
A senior leader at Fujitsu told colleagues the first file from the final public inquiry into the Put up Put of job Horizon scandal became once “not that deplorable”, in spite of it linking problems with the IT dealer’s tool to 13 suicides.
In the midst of a assembly by which he acknowledged he became once talking “candidly”, the member of the firm’s top group, who is leaving Fujitsu, additionally told employees that the dealer could perchance well safe round its self-imposed public sector bidding end by working as a subcontractor, with assorted suppliers fronting the bids.
His recorded remarks referring to the devastating inquiry findings are at odds with Fujitsu’s apologetic statements. The file, which became once printed in July, became once described as “profoundly anxious” by the Put up Put of job Horizon scandal public inquiry chair, Wyn Williams.
When publishing quantity a number of the inquiry’s file, Williams acknowledged he could perchance well not rule out the “right possibility” that 13 other folks took their uncover lives as a outcomes of their treatment by the Put up Put of job after unexplained shortfalls of their branches, which were at remaining discovered to be brought on by errors in Fujitsu’s tool.
At the time of the liberate of quantity a number of the inquiry’s file in July, Fujitsu acknowledged: “We have got apologised for, and deeply regret, our feature in subpostmasters’ struggling, and we like to reiterate that apology nowadays. We hope for a swift resolution that ensures an true outcome for the victims.”
The senior leader, whose identity is famous to Pc Weekly, briefed colleagues following the publication of the first instalment of the inquiry’s file on the scandal. Pc Weekly has heard a recording of the senior leader telling employees that the inquiry file “became once deplorable” however “not that deplorable”, and that there became once nothing in it that must peaceable originate him or others “feel deplorable about working for Fujitsu”.
The statutory public inquiry’s first file acknowledged at least 10,000 other folks were affected, to assorted degrees, as a outcomes of the failings in Fujitsu’s Horizon IT system and the Put up Put of job’s decision to blame subpostmasters for unexplained losses.
Profoundly anxious
Inquiry chair Williams called the portray that has emerged and is described in his file “profoundly anxious”, along with that he became once “overjoyed that a resolution of employees of Fujitsu and the Put up Put of job” knew Horizon bugs, errors and defects could perchance well plot “illusory” beneficial properties and losses in branches.
Hundreds of lives were ruined by psychological sickness, economic waste and wrongful prosecution. Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly convicted of crimes, with many despatched to jail, and there were suicides and tried suicides linked to the scandal.
Fujitsu needs to be pleading for forgiveness, not announcing stuff like that. It is time for Fujitsu to rob accountability for its actions
Janet Skinner, outdated subpostmaster
Janet Skinner, who became once wrongly convicted of untrue accounting, misplaced her home and livelihood and frolicked in jail, separated from her two adolescents. In accordance with the feedback by the IT dealer’s gross sales govt, she acknowledged: “Fujitsu needs to be pleading for forgiveness, not announcing stuff like that. ‘Now not that deplorable’ – sigh that to the opposite folks that went to jail like me or the households of those who dedicated suicide.”
Skinner, who had her wrongful conviction for untrue accounting overturned in 2021, added: “It is time for Fujitsu to rob accountability for its actions.”
Jo Hamilton, who became once wrongfully prosecuted and convicted for untrue accounting in 2003, requested: “If 13 suicides will not be deplorable, what does deplorable watch like?”
She acknowledged: “Corporate culture is toxic. They don’t care about anyone assorted than themselves.” Hamilton additionally had her wrongful conviction overturned in 2021.
Pc Weekly tried to contact the senior govt both straight and by Fujitsu to ask observation, however had bought no response to questions on the time of publication.
Fujitsu did not reply to a ask for a recount referring to the govt.’s feedback. Nonetheless, a Fujitsu UK spokesperson confirmed he had left the firm, however did not give any reason on the back of his exit.“We thank [him] for his efforts and wish him each success for the long dash,” they acknowledged.
One Fujitsu insider slammed the firm’s management: “The fish rots from the head, and everybody down the hierarchy learns to preserve their nose. When management shrugs off struggling and treats accountability like a PR exercise, the culture follows. Folks end asking what’s appropriate and commence asking what they’ll safe away with.”
• Additionally read: Fujitsu’s feature within the Put up Put of job scandal: Everything or not it’s a must to know •
Gap gesture
In January 2024, within the aftermath of ITV’s dramatisation of the Put up Put of job scandal, Fujitsu promised to end bidding for executive contracts except the inquiry had accomplished its work.
However in line with sources, the Fujitsu UK leader additionally told employees that all the blueprint by its self-imposed ban on bidding for public sector contracts, the firm planned to work with assorted suppliers to procure work as a subcontractor.
In July this year, he told colleagues it could perchance well doubtlessly be yet any other year the place Fujitsu does not “aggressively” scurry for new public sector industry.
He explained to them that because Fujitsu has been worthwhile industry within the UK public sector for a truly very long time, it knows hundreds other folks and understands the domain. He acknowledged assorted suppliers, along with BT and Vodafone, were “very concerned” to work with Fujitsu as top contractors, with the Japanese dealer a subcontractor, which could perchance perchance enable it to rob executive work with out surely bidding. Both suppliers refute this recount.
He told colleagues that the firm must watch at new avenues of bidding to steer clear of “falling depraved” of its uncover bidding end.
When contacted by Pc Weekly, BT acknowledged: “The assertion that BT is ‘concerned’ to work with Fujitsu as ‘top bidder’, which could perchance perchance allow Fujitsu to procure industry as a subcontractor, in discontinuance to safe round its uncover bidding end, will not be appropriate.
“We plot not present companies and products to UK executive the place we now believe contracted as a ‘top bidder’ and incorporated Fujitsu as phase of the contract. We additionally have not any discussions or plans to contract with Fujitsu on this blueprint.”
Vodafone acknowledged that since January 2024, it has not entered into any new public sector buyer relationships the place Fujitsu is called or concerned as a subcontractor or dealer.
“Our engagement to Fujitsu in the case of public sector contracts remains strictly puny to a minute resolution of gift clients the place they’re already a named subcontractor. They additionally plot not believe any order engagement with clients the place they operate as Vodafone’s subcontractor.”
The telco refuted the divulge by the Fujitsu govt. “Vodafone meets with all its suppliers to be obvious that compliance and easy provide of companies and products for purchasers. Vodafone additionally has a strict governance task in web train to assess its resolution of suppliers for any public sector bids, to be obvious that compliance with executive pointers.”
The Fujistu executives perspective mirrors what Pc Weekly printed in April 2024, when it emerged that employees had been given a drift blueprint instructing them how to narrate for executive contracts all the blueprint by the IT dealer’s self-imposed ban on bidding. Fujitsu’s public sector boss on the time, Dave Riley, told employees: “[The bidding pause] will not be a blanket ban on bidding, however is an additional gateway study we now believe to struggle by.”
Though Fujitsu has misplaced executive contracts all the blueprint by the final couple of years, its mountainous gift buyer execrable within the UK executive obtained it deals price £450m remaining year.
Campaigning outdated subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates acknowledged Fujitsu doesn’t note the influence its actions had on other folks: “They are doing the entirety they’ll to disclaim any liability on this, after they’re extremely liable.”
Fujitsu promised to pay in direction of the costs of the Put up Put of job scandal once the inquiry became once total. The first phase of the inquiry file looked on the human influence, retaining phase a number of the seven inquiry phases. The 2nd, extra enormous file, due next year, will veil the remaining six phases. Pertinent to Fujitsu’s feature, the remaining phases lined factors along with the Horizon IT system’s historic previous, its operation, and appropriate actions against subpostmasters.
When the 2nd phase of the final public inquiry file is printed next year, Fujitsu will possible be uncovered to mountainous public stress.
The Put up Put of job scandal became once first uncovered by Pc Weekly in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the considerations they suffered due to the the accounting tool (watch timeline of Pc Weekly articles referring to the scandal beneath).
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