The former boss of Fujitsu UK has admitted holding 4 conferences with Post Office chief government Paula Vennells, a few of which included discussions over Fujitsu's Horizon IT system.
Previous media experiences had indicated that Michael Keegan, the husband of former Conservative minister Gillian Keegan, had met Ms Vennells solely as soon as and that Horizon was not mentioned.
Between 1999 and 2015, greater than 900 sub-postmasters have been wrongfully prosecuted as a result of defective Horizon software program made it seem that cash was lacking from Post Office department accounts.
Mr Keegan's legal professionals mentioned they have been sorry the sub-postmasters had been wrongly prosecuted and denied taking part in any function.
Mr Keegan confirmed to BBC News that he had 4 conferences with Ms Vennells throughout his 13 months as chief government of Fujitsu UK from May 2014 to June 2015.
Two of those have been face-to-face conferences and the opposite two have been phone calls.
During his tenure, lawmakers started investigating Horizon Software, and a crew of forensic accountants have been investigating Second Sight's programs.
Ms Vennells was Chief Executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019.
In 2022, Mr Keegan efficiently complained to the press regulator IPSO a couple of Sunday Times article. The abstract of the criticism within the IPSO resolution signifies he met Ms Vennells solely as soon as.
Mr Keegan's legal professionals mentioned that on the time, he solely remembered a face-to-face assembly.
Post Office Minister Gareth Thomas mentioned he was stunned to listen to concerning the conferences.
He mentioned: “Definitely [the Post Office IT inquiry’s] The findings about Fujitsu in particular will be one of the things I pay attention to. [the] Investigation Report.”
In response to a Freedom of Information request by the BBC, the Post Office said that after reviewing the emails, it had found references to six meetings during Mr Keegan's tenure, but that it was “unable to verify that all of these meetings took place Or not “.
It also said it did not believe the information it had was a “complete record of all meetings between the two parties”.
Mr Keegan's lawyers said the two meetings mentioned by the Post Office never took place.
Fujitsu was contacted by BBC Panorama about its investigation into the Post Office and the flawed Horizon IT system following a conversation in 2015 between Mr Keegan and Ms Vennells.
And despite previous media reports claiming that the Horizon system was never discussed, a letter from Mr Keegan to Ms Vennells included a reference to a “current application”. It seems that the applying he was referring to was Horizon.
In the letter, dated 14 November 2014, Mr Keegan appears to be arguing against the Post Office shaking up the structure of its IT systems, including Horizon, and inviting new suppliers to bid to run them.
He also appears to propose that the Post Office should keep at least some parts of Horizon and presented it to Ms Vennells as an “evolutionary method that may present the digital entrance finish you want however already The finish of the present utility will retain many of the investments made in stablecoins. [Horizon],
Mr Keegan's legal professionals mentioned his involvement within the Post Office contract associated to strategic and industrial choices, he didn’t focus on the main points of Horizon with Ms Vennells, and that the letter was associated to Fujitsu's resolution to exit as provider of the Front Office tower. Was associated – title given to the IT contract that included Horizon.
Documents present Mr Keegan and Ms Vennells met for the primary time inside days of his appointment as chief government of Fujitsu UK.
In an e mail dated May 23, 2014, he wrote, “Nice to meet you on Monday.”
He thanks Ms Vennells for her “candor” and says: “Within the private sector, you are by far our most important customer and I want that to remain the case for the foreseeable future.”
His second assembly with Ms Vennells is confirmed in a letter dated 14 November 2014, which he says is a follow-up to “our conversation on 31 October”.
Mr Keegan's legal professionals mentioned the primary assembly was not about Horizon and was attended by many different folks.
He mentioned the second assembly was a brief phone name to tell the Post Office that Fujitsu wouldn’t bid within the procurement course of to switch Horizon.
Just a few weeks later, in response to data cited by the Post Office, the 2 chief executives met on 2 December.
Ms Vennells then despatched an e mail during which she wrote: “Thank you again for the meeting.”
Mr Keegan's legal professionals advised the BBC it was the one time their shopper had attended a one-to-one assembly with Ms Vennells and the aim of the assembly was to debate Fujitsu's exit as Horizon's provider.
The paperwork additionally give the impression of a detailed relationship.
Ms. Vennells writes, “Thank you for your time and honesty. We both have concerns in this situation and I'm glad we were able to share them in a candid manner.”
“I suggest we keep in touch regularly – and next time have breakfast for me, or have a drink with (REDACTED).”
Mr Keegan replies by e mail 10 minutes later.
“It has been a privilege to spend time together discussing all these matters in such an open manner.”
Mr Keegan's legal professionals say the pair haven’t been in common contact or met in individual once more.
However, after Fujitsu was contacted by BBC Panorama about investigating the programme, he had one other phone name on 25 June.
The following week Mr Keegan began a brand new function as head of Fujitsu Hardware.
The Panorama investigation was initially scheduled to air on 22 June 2015, which was delayed to 29 June, 4 days after Mr Keegan and Ms Vennells' name.
The program, which aired the testimony of a Fujitsu whistleblower, lastly aired on 17 August,
The Post Office mentioned it had obtained reference to 2 different conferences within the final weekend of May 2015, however Mr Keegan denied that these conferences came about.
Mr Keegan's legal professionals advised BBC News that the prosecution in opposition to sub-postmasters on account of the Horizon information had successfully stopped by 2013, earlier than his appointment as Britain's chief government.
The BBC's Freedom of Information request was initially made in January 2024 when Gillian Keegan was Education Secretary and her husband spent 4 years on the Cabinet Office overseeing the federal government's relationship with a significant industrial provider.
The Post Office responded to the BBC's request in August, greater than six months after the deadline required by legislation.
Mr Keegan voluntarily resigned from his Cabinet Office job on the finish of January, whereas his spouse misplaced her seat within the common election in July.
Additional reporting by the BBC News investigative crew
With inputs from BBC
