Ex-Subpostmaster Emails Vennells: "I Wonder What Kind of God You Worship"

Former subpostmaster Tim McCormack attempted to alert the Post Office about issues with the Horizon IT system during Paula Vennells' tenure as chief executive. In an email to Vennells, an ordained priest, McCormack expressed concerns about an intermittent bug in the system causing significant financial losses for subpostmasters. This communication took place in 2015, where McCormack provided clear evidence of the problem and expressed frustration over the lack of action from the Post Office. The email correspondence between McCormack and Vennells was then brought to the attention of Post Office lawyer Rodric Williams. Williams suggested responding to McCormack with a standard reply and dismissed him as someone not worthy of serious consideration. Vennells, however, denied having the same opinion as Williams regarding McCormack, stating she could not recall what actions were taken in response to McCormack’s email. This lack of attention to serious concerns raised by McCormack sheds light on the Post Office's negligence. As the Horizon IT inquiry unfolded, more emails from McCormack to Vennells surfaced. In a message from July 2016, McCormack expressed disappointment in the team Vennells had entrusted, predicting potential legal consequences for the staff involved once a police investigation was completed. His tone grew increasingly critical, questioning the values and ethics upheld by Vennells and the organization. In a follow-up email a month later, McCormack reiterated his frustration, highlighting another instance of the same computer error impacting a different branch. He condemned the Post Office as a group of incompetent individuals causing harm to innocent people without regard for the consequences. Vennells, while testifying at the inquiry, admitted that Williams had taken over responding to McCormack on behalf of the Post Office, indicating a lack of direct engagement from her end. Vennells expressed regret during her testimony for the delayed response to the concerns raised by McCormack. She acknowledged that the issues highlighted by him should have been addressed promptly and with more seriousness. This raises questions about the organizational culture within the Post Office at the time and the way in which critical feedback and warnings were handled. The revelations from the Horizon IT inquiry shed light on systemic failures and the need for accountability within the organization. https://therealcrimediary.com/ex-subpostmaster-emails-vennells-i-wonder-what-kind-of-god-you-worship/?feed_id=90576&_unique_id=671769e544f31