UK Post Office chairman resigns after Horizon scandal

The CEO of the state-run organization Post Office in the UK, Henry Staunton, has stepped down from his role following pressure from the government after the controversy surrounding the Horizon case.

The repercussions of what has been labeled as the largest miscarriage of justice in the history of the UK continue even after the release of the miniseries “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office” on ITV earlier this year.

In this case, over 700 post office managers from all over the country were accused, and in some instances, even imprisoned or bankrupted by the Post Office due to allegations of theft or falsification of accounts, caused by a flaw in the Horizon accounting software developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu.

Staunton has now resigned from his position after a phone conversation with the Minister of Business, Kemi Badenoch, this past Saturday, according to the Business Ministry.

Both parties agreed to Staunton’s departure through mutual agreement, and the appointment of an interim replacement will be made in the near future. Staunton assumed the role in December 2022, having previously held leadership positions in various prominent companies, including WH Smith.

Subsequent to the airing of the series, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that all those who were accused will be immediately cleared of charges and will receive compensation before the end of the year.

“An interim head will be appointed soon, and a selection process for a new CEO will be initiated according to the Governance Code for public appointments,” stated a government spokesperson to the British media.

Tensions between the government and Staunton had been escalating in recent months, although internal sources within the company claim that his departure is unrelated to the uproar caused by the TV series, as reported by Sky News.