Between 1999 and 2015, more than 4,000 UK sub-postmasters were prosecuted over allegations of cash shortfalls, facing charges of theft and false accounting. About 700 of them were convicted, and some-230 went to prison — a story that seemingly serves to reinforce the effectiveness of the UK’s criminal justice system. Except it wasn’t true. In May 2009, ĔČĭŁļÕİ ¥ÕÕăĆŘ reported that rather than sub-postmasters skimming off the top, a faulty program, Horizon, was to blame. A 2019 legal settlement awarded £58 million in compensation to more than 500 sub-postmasters, and a blanket exoneration of those convicted is expected to come soon. & ven worse perhaps than the wrongful convictions and ruination of hundreds of lives is the fact that complaints of miscalculations within weeks of its installation. Internal investigations are an important tool for any company committed to identifying
&ŕõÑÕčËÕõčļñÕ |ĔĴļcêţËÕõčįŁõİŘ makes clear just how important it is that companies get their investigative process and practice right. Maintain objectivity Internal investigators act on behalf of the corporation — not
|ĔĴļcêţËÕĔêţËõ²ĆĴËĔŁĆÑñ²ŕÕ nipped the issue in the bud had they conducted a robust internal investigation over the Horizon computer system, which drew
misconduct. When conducted in good faith and good practice, ļñÕŘÕč²ÊĆÕİÕČÕÑõ²ļõĔčĔİĴÕĆêʴ reporting before issues escalate.
26 | March 2024
Internal investigation
CCI Magazine
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator