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Fujitsu’s chief executive told MPs that the company is “not a parasite” for continuing to benefit from government contracts despite the Post Office Horizon scandal.
Paul Patterson, European chief executive, stated that Fujitsu has been granted £500m in contract extensions despite its flawed software being central to the extensive miscarriage of justice.
“We are not a parasite; the government has the option of whether they wish to extend those contracts or not,” he asserted, while adding that the firm would refrain from bidding on new business.
Patterson also repeatedly declined to specify how much Fujitsu would contribute to the £1.8bn redress scheme for victims of the scandal, which is currently taxpayer-funded.
Over 900 sub-postmasters faced prosecution due to the faulty Horizon computer system, which falsely indicated missing funds from their branch accounts.
Hundreds more invested their personal savings into their branches to cover alleged discrepancies and avert prosecution.
The situation is widely regarded as one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in British history.
Patterson’s testimony before the Business and Trade Select Committee occurred two years after he told the same group of MPs that Fujitsu had a “moral obligation” to contribute to compensation for those affected by the scandal.
Jo Hamilton, a former sub-postmaster and prominent justice campaigner, expressed upon arrival that she wanted Fujitsu to “just pay.”
“Taxpayers have lost a lot of money over this,” she stated. “They should give a chunk of their earnings back to them, to put in the pot, to help pay everybody,” she added.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has allocated £1.8bn of taxpayer funds to compensate victims of the scandal, with £1.4bn already disbursed, and Fujitsu has pledged to contribute to the fund.
However, despite repeated questioning from MPs on Tuesday, Patterson refrained from disclosing the amount Fujitsu would contribute.
He indicated that the firm was awaiting the final report of the official Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, led by Judge Sir Wyn Williams.
“Our commitment is 100%. We will make a contribution to redress, to the government, when we’ve seen the report,” he informed MPs.
Committee Chair and Labour MP Liam Byrne stated that he “just can’t believe the company has changed”.
He cited the firm’s role in the scandal and its ongoing work for the British government.
He further stated: “Your refusal to tell us how much Fujitsu will pay into a £1.8bn bill for taxpayers leads people to the conclusion that, frankly, Fujitsu is behaving like a parasite on the British state.”
Patterson responded: “We’re not a parasite. The government has got an option as to whether to extend those contracts or not. If you wish us to walk away from those contracts, we’ll walk away from those contracts.”
He emphasized Fujitsu’s “proud” 40-year history of investment in the UK, highlighting its 5,000 employees and the hundreds of sub-contractors it utilizes in the country.
He was questioned about why Fujitsu, a publicly listed company in Japan, had not allocated provisions in its financial accounts for a potential future payout.
Patterson stated that the firm’s auditors advised him that such provisions were unnecessary until the precise figure was determined.
Fujitsu has announced it will not bid for UK public contracts until Sir Wyn’s inquiry into the scandal concludes.
However, as recently as November, the Post Office agreed to extend its agreement to use the controversial Horizon system for an additional year.
Patterson clarified that the firm extended its contract with the Post Office at the government’s request.
The move comes as police continue to investigate what has been called the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice.
His prosecution was based on another potentially faulty Post Office system, the Criminal Cases Review Commission says.
The Post Office says it is opening at a petrol station, but the store says this is not true.
It is paying £41m to the Japanese-owned company Fujitsu to use the Horizon system until March 2027.
Sir Alan led a group of 555 subpostmasters who took part in a landmark group legal action against the Post Office.
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