Former Post Office Senior Director Testifies at Horizon IT Scandal Inquiry

The ongoing Post Office Inquiry saw former senior director Angela van den Bogerd testifying about her involvement in the Horizon IT scandal. Van den Bogerd expressed regret for the wrongful convictions caused by the system but maintained she had no knowledge of any wrongdoing. The inquiry delved into her use of the term ‘anomaly’ instead of ‘bug’ when describing IT issues and her awareness, or lack thereof, regarding remote access to the Horizon system.

During the inquiry, Jason Beer KC probed van den Bogerd on her actions during a 2015 BBC Panorama episode titled ‘Trouble at the Post Office.’ It was revealed that she had key messages to convey that cast doubt on allegations of systemic issues within the Post Office. Questions arose about the transparency of the Post Office’s communication amid the Horizon scandal.

Van den Bogerd’s testimony included discussions about emails dating back to 2010 and 2011, highlighting how Fujitsu had remote access to branch accounts. Despite receiving such correspondence, she admitted to not disclosing this information during key interviews and court appearances in later years.

The inquiry also scrutinized van den Bogerd’s interactions with sub-postmasters, notably a recorded meeting with Val and Rachpal Athwal. Concerns were raised about her failure to mention the potential for remote manipulation of figures by Fujitsu employees, a detail she claimed to have overlooked due to not recalling receiving critical emails.

Further revelations came to light regarding van den Bogerd’s involvement with key figures such as Gareth Jenkins and Tracy Marshall. The inquiry aimed to uncover the extent of her knowledge about remote access capabilities and whether such information was deliberately withheld from affected parties during the Horizon scandal.