The Post Office has spent over £600 million to continue using the faulty Horizon IT system, despite deciding to abandon it more than a decade ago. The Horizon system, developed by Fujitsu, has been at the center of a major scandal involving wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters based on erroneous data generated by the software. This decision to maintain the system has drawn significant public outrage, given the system’s role in one of the UK’s largest miscarriages of justice.

The original contract for Horizon was signed in 1999, with the Post Office agreeing not to own the source code for the core part of the system, leaving it reliant on Fujitsu’s assurances about its accuracy. Internal documents revealed that government officials, including then-Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown, were warned about potential problems with the contract terms before it was finalized. Despite these warnings and the known flaws, the Post Office continued to prosecute around 700 sub-postmasters for theft and fraud based on Horizon data, many of whom were later exonerated.

The scandal has had devastating effects on the lives of many sub-postmasters, some of whom faced criminal convictions, financial ruin, and severe emotional distress. Compensation efforts have been ongoing, with the Post Office paying out more than £768 million to over 5,100 victims. However, many affected individuals and campaigners criticize the compensation process as slow and inadequate. The Post Office has acknowledged the faults and expressed commitment to moving away from Fujitsu and the Horizon system, with government funding allocated for future IT projects to replace the flawed software.

Public reaction to the revelation of the £600 million expenditure has been one of anger and disbelief, with calls for accountability and justice for those harmed by the Horizon system. The Post Office’s continued reliance on the faulty system despite its known issues reflects a broader failure in oversight and governance. Efforts are underway to modernize the Post Office’s technology infrastructure, but doubts remain about the pace and effectiveness of these reforms.