Police officers investigating the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are now considering corporate manslaughter charges.
In an update, shared with victims in the past few days, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said the investigation is looking at offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice, along with corporate manslaughter – which affects companies, rather than individuals.
The investigation is currently focused on eight suspects, with five interviews conducted under caution.
It said there were now 53 persons of interest, most of whom were likely to be raised to suspect status at a later stage in the probe.
David Enright, a lawyer who represents many former sub-postmasters, told BBC Breakfast that the offence of corporate manslaughter was “very difficult to prove.”
“You have to have a clear linkage between the work of senior managers on an executive team to the death involved,” he said.
Former sub-postmaster Janet Skinner, who was sent to prison after being wrongly convicted of false accounting in 2007, attended the call with officers in which victims were briefed on the investigation.
“It’s still just words,” she said. “Unfortunately, we still have to wait for action to happen.”
The Horizon IT system, which began operating in 1999, falsely created shortfalls in Post Office branches for which sub-postmasters were held liable.
The scandal has been called the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice.
More than 900 people were prosecuted and some went to prison. Some died while waiting for justice.
The criminal investigation into the scandal, Operation Olympos, began in 2020. A year ago, a team of about 100 officers was launched in four regional hubs, scaling up its activity after the end of the public phase of the inquiry into the scandal.
Officers are now appealing to any former sub-postmasters who may have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the Post Office to come forward, after it was confirmed that the NDAs would no longer be enforced.
The NPCC said: “The primary and sole focus remains the offences of Perverting the Course of Justice and Perjury and this has not changed.
“However, as was done with fraud offences previously, advice is being sought from the CPS around the offences of Corporate and Gross Negligent manslaughter.”
The chair of the public inquiry, Sir Wyn Williams, published the first part of his final report on 8 July and the second volume is expected next year.
The police officer leading the investigation previously told the BBC that any criminal trials may not take place before 2028.
