LONDON (AP) — The chief executive of Britain’s scandal-ridden Post Office will step down next year, the company said Wednesday, as criticism mounts over the speed of compensation payments to branch managers wrongly convicted of theft or fraud because of a faulty computer system.
Nick Read said it has been a “great privilege” to have been chief executive of the company during an “extraordinarily challenging time for the business and for postmasters.”
Read, who took the helm in 2019, announced in July his intention to temporarily step back from the role to give his “entire attention” to the next stage of the ongoing inquiry into what is one of the country’s biggest miscarriages of justice that saw hundreds of branch managers wrongly convicted. The next stage of the inquiry is due to begin next week.
“There remains much to be done for this great U.K. institution but the journey to reset the relationship with postmasters is well under way and our work to support justice and redress for postmasters will continue," said Read, who was not at the company when the miscarriages of justice took place.
Read succeeded Paula Vennells, who has given back her Commander of the Order of the British Empire title that she received in 2019, following criticism of her actions in the top job.
The scandal around the Horizon IT scandal has been known for years but really became headline news at the start of this year when a four-part television docudrama aired.
The ITV show, “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office,” told the story of branch manager Alan Bates, played by Toby Jones, who has spent nearly two decades trying to expose the scandal and exonerate his peers.
Bates said that Read “hasn’t achieved anything for the victims” during his time as chief executive.
“It’s funny that because when I knew he’d taken seven weeks’ leave — in theory to prepare for the inquiry — I thought he’d taken seven weeks off to find a new job," he added.
After the Post Office introduced the Horizon information technology system 25 years ago to automate sales accounting, local managers began finding unexplained losses that bosses said they were responsible for covering.
The Post Office maintained that Horizon, which was made by the Japanese company Fujitsu, was reliable and accused branch managers of dishonesty. Vennells, who was chief executive from 2012 to 2019, a period that included the last few years of the scandal, had for years insisted that the system was “robust” despite the hundreds of workers who said they had done nothing wrong.
Between 2000 and 2014, more than 900 postal employees were wrongly convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting, with some imprisoned and others forced into bankruptcy.
The number of victims is not fully known but the British government introduced legislation to reverse the convictions, brought by the Post Office itself.
The company, which is state-owned but operates as a private business, has had a unique function whereby it can prosecute its own staff without the need to contact police or state prosecutors. However, Read has said he couldn’t imagine using it again given what happened.
FILE - A logo of a post office is displayed in London, Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
CINCINNATI (AP) — Marcell Ozuna homered, Gio Urshela drove in three runs and Spencer Schwellenbach pitched six innings of one-run ball as the Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 on Wednesday night.
The win allowed the Braves to stay within two games of the Mets for the final National League wild card spot.
The Braves are 1-4 against the Reds this season.
Ozuna greeted Tony Santillan (2-3) with his 38th home run of the season in the seventh, a solo shot that broke a 1-1 tie. The blast ended Ozuna's home run drought at 26 games and his RBI drought at 19 games. Urshela drove in two runs with a bases loaded single, pushing the lead to 4-1.
In the eighth, Michael Harris II homered and Ozuna doubled to knock in Eli White and record his 100th RBI of the season.
Urshela drove in his third run with a ground-rule double in the ninth.
Schwellenbach (7-7) made his 19th start for the Braves. In six innings, he allowed one run on five hits while striking out five and walking two.
The Reds managed three hits in the first five innings and pushed their only run across in the sixth. Elly De La Cruz hit his ninth triple into the right field corner to lead off the inning. De La Cruz scored on TJ Friedl's safety squeeze.
Jakob Junis made his fourth start for the Reds. He was pressed into a starting role when Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo were injured. Junis retired the first 11 Braves’ batters before Ozuna doubled. Matt Olsen’s single to center broke the scoreless tie in the fourth.
Junis pitched six innings, allowing just two hits. He retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: Ozzie Albies made his first rehab start Tuesday night. “He hit off lefties all night. Everything was good. I hope he can get some right on right at bats, tonight," manager Brian Snitker said.
Reds: The Reds are deciding whether Hunter Greene will make a start Sunday. “He will make two starts,” David Bell said.
UP NEXT
The final of the three-game series on Thursday afternoon will feature the Reds' rookie Julian Aguiar (2-0, 4.88 ERA) against Braves' veteran Chris Sale (17-3, 2.35 ERA).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Cincinnati Reds' TJ Friedl grounds out against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Cincinnati Reds left fielder Spencer Steer catches a fly ball hit by Atlanta Braves' Ramón Laureano during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Jakob Junis throws against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach throws against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson catches the ball to get Cincinnati Reds' Ty France out during the second inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Atlanta Braves' Orlando Arcia hits a ground ball against the Cincinnati Reds during the third inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ozuna homers, Urshela drives in 3 as Braves beat Reds 7-1
Ozuna homers, Urshela drives in 3 as Braves beat Reds 7-1
Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson, right, celebrates his home run against the Cincinnati Reds with teammate Marcell Ozuna during the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
