An accounting software named Horizon of Fujitsu Company of Japan, which the UK post offices were using , bungled, showing shortage of money in the accounts of the post offices. This had been happening since 1999! It is said that faults to the software were noticed at an early stage, but no real importance was paid to them, and the problems seemed to have not been corrected. Instead, the powers that be professed that they had full confidence in the machines and implied that humans were in the wrong! Consequently, almost 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses in charge of their post offices' financial accounts were put in unwarranted trauma and misery. They were prosecuted. Criminal cases were brought against them, and many were sent to prisons. Poor souls, that meant they were found guilty of crimes they did not commit. Nice justice! They lost their jobs, their pride, their honour. Their lives changed for the worse. Some even died, they say! Oh my God! It was only in late 2020 that the Horizon software system error was discovered. So late! What a shame! Unbelievable! In an 'advanced' country like the UK!
The government is now finding ways of adequately compensating all those unjustifiably punished persons. Fujitsu apologized and said it would contribute financially to compensate the ill-fated sufferers. Money? Money is merely a materialistic consolation. It can only make a little amend.. I hope ways of returning their lost dignity were found.
The UK media is terming the above mess as 'The Great Post Office Scandal' I disagree. It is not a scandal. It is a great human miscalculation, wrong assumption and ignorance. I call it 'The Great Post Office Bungle'! Or, people have been put into unjustified agony, and so, 'The Great Post Office Ignominy', if you may.
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