A Post Office investigator, Robert Daily, has denied any personal liability in the case of a wrongly-convicted manager, Peter Holmes, during an inquiry. Holmes, who managed a post office in Jesmond, Newcastle, was convicted in 2010 after an audit revealed a £46,000 shortfall in his account. His conviction was overturned in 2021, but he had already passed away in 2015.
Holmes was among over 900 Post Office sub-postmasters, postmistresses, and branch managers prosecuted for theft and false accounting between 1999 and 2015 due to apparent missing funds from their accounts. These prosecutions were based on evidence from the faulty Horizon computer software.
The ongoing inquiry into the scandal gained renewed attention after an ITV drama highlighted the stories of those wrongfully accused. Many of those affected are still awaiting compensation.
Daily began investigating Holmes in 2008 and maintained that he was merely doing his job. He stated that he was told the Horizon system was reliable, but now acknowledges that this was incorrect and that no investigations should have been conducted based on its data.
Daily denied any personal responsibility for Holmes’ situation when questioned. He also admitted to a “failure in disclosure” regarding checks on the Horizon system during the investigation.
Holmes had raised concerns about the Horizon system during an interview with Daily in 2008, but Daily claimed he was unaware of any other complaints about the software in other branches. The inquiry continues.
