More than 700 postmasters have been falsely accused of stealing their accounts, but the problem came from the company's accounting software.
Chairman of the British state-owned Post Office Company, which runs the country's post offices, Henry StauntonHe resigned from his position at the request of the government after the scandal caused by the so-called Horizon state.
The effects of what was described as the largest judicial error in history United kingdom They do not stop broadcasting at the beginning of the year of the series Mr. Bates v. Post Office On ITV.
More than 700 post office workers across the country have been charged — and in some cases jailed or bankrupted — by the Post Office for stealing or falsifying their accounts due to a problem with… Programming Accountant at Horizon, a subsidiary of the Japanese company Fujitsu.
Now Staunton will leave his post after a phone call on Saturday with the Business Secretary. Kimmy Badenochaccording to his ministry.
Both agreed to Staunton's departure “by mutual agreement” and the appointment of a temporary replacement within a short period of time. Staunton took up his role in December 2022, having led other large companies, most recently retail chain WH Smith, for nine years.
After the broadcast of the series, Prime Minister Rishi SunakHe announced that all defendants would be immediately acquitted and would receive compensation before the end of the year.
“a [responsable] A government spokesman told British media: “He will be appointed soon and the process of selecting a new president will be opened at the appropriate time, in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.”
In recent months, tensions have escalated between the CEO and Staunton, although internal sources at the company separated the latter's departure from the uproar caused by the series, according to Sky News.
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