Two years ago, the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office ignited national fury by exposing what is widely considered the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. The scandal, rooted in the faulty Horizon IT system, led to the wrongful prosecution of nearly 1,000 sub-postmasters, with devastating human consequences.
The Human Cost of a Flawed System
The Horizon IT system was introduced by the Post Office in 1999. It generated false financial shortfalls at branches across the country. Sub-postmasters were held personally liable for these non-existent losses, leading to a wave of unjust prosecutions.
The impact was catastrophic. Beyond the almost 1,000 prosecutions, thousands more lives were affected. The scandal caused family breakdowns, bankruptcy, and loss of livelihoods. It has been linked to at least 13 suicides, with many victims dying before seeing justice. A statutory public inquiry is ongoing, with its final report due in 2026.
While hundreds of convictions have now been quashed and compensation is being paid, significant injustice remains. At the time of writing, 2,703 claimants have not received a full and final settlement.
Where Are the Key Figures Now?
As victims continue their fight, questions are being asked about the fate of the executives responsible. Operation Olympos, a six-year criminal investigation costing nearly £10 million, is examining potential corporate manslaughter charges. Police are focusing on eight suspects and 53 'persons of interest'. Yet, an investigation reveals that several central figures are living comfortably, shielded from the ruin they oversaw.
Paula Vennells: The Millionaire Vicar
Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells, 66, now lives in retirement in a Grade II-listed Bedfordshire farmhouse worth an estimated £2 million. During her tenure from 2012 to 2019, she repeatedly denied the organisation was prosecuting innocent people.
Her engagement with the sub-postmasters' plight was minimal; an email revealed she found a TV report on their suffering "boring". After the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) exposed the truth, Vennells stepped back from public life and her clerical duties. Despite this, she remains welcome at her local church, St Owen's in Bromham.
When she gave evidence to the public inquiry in May 2024, she was given a warning about self-incrimination, suggesting she is of interest to police. Vennells apologised but denied committing any crime. Her CBE was revoked last year, but she is protected by both the church and her considerable wealth, having earned over £5 million in salary and bonuses while at the Post Office.
Angela van den Bogerd: The 'Automaton' Executive
Angela van den Bogerd, 59, spent 35 years at the Post Office in various roles, becoming known as a key figure in handling sub-postmaster complaints. Colleagues described her as "completely brainwashed" in her loyalty to the organisation.
Her icy demeanour was highlighted during the public inquiry, where a barrister told her to "take a step back from the answer of an automaton!". Despite this, she has recently taken possession of a £600,000 house in South Wales featuring an indoor swimming pool, sauna, and snooker room.
Van den Bogerd claims she has been "demonised" and acted with the knowledge she had at the time. However, a High Court judge previously found she did not give frank evidence and sought to "obfuscate matters, and mislead".
Andy Dunks: Fujitsu's Key Witness
Andy Dunks, 61, was a Fujitsu IT security manager whose witness statements verifying Horizon data were used to prosecute sub-postmasters. He held the role of Cryptographic Key Manager for 20 years, despite lacking the skills to properly analyse the data he was certifying as accurate.
He was censured by a High Court judge for attempting to mislead the court and, like Vennells, received a formal warning against self-incrimination at the public inquiry. Dunks lives in a £725,000 home in Berkshire, with four cars on the drive. A neighbour described him as a "spineless yes man" whose actions wrecked families and communities.
George Thomson: The Union Leader Who Sided with Management
George Thomson, 64, was the General Secretary of the postmasters' union, the National Federation of SubPostmasters (NFSP). Instead of supporting his members, he dismissed their concerns. In 2012, he forwarded an email from Sir Alan Bates to Paula Vennells, calling it "rubbish" and vowing to tell Bates that Horizon was "secure and robust" and to "go away".
He told Parliament in 2015 that accounting discrepancies were often due to thieving staff. Today, he runs a Post Office and café in Tranent, Scotland, and lives in a large detached house worth around £460,000. He has never apologised to the sub-postmasters he failed.
Justice Delayed
The road to accountability is long. Stephen Clayman, Gold Commander of Operation Olympos, has indicated it could be late 2027 before criminal charges are brought, as police await the inquiry's final report. For now, as thousands of victims wait for closure and compensation, the figures at the heart of the scandal rest easy in their comfortable homes. The fight for full justice continues.
