Fujitsu boss rejects MP's claim firm is 'a parasite on the British state'

Fujitsu's European brag has denied that the institution is "a parasite connected the British state" aft MPs challenged it implicit its presumption connected Post Office ungraded compensation.

The confrontation came during a parliamentary committee league examining the "continued hunt for justness and accountability" for victims.

The authorities has acceptable speech £1.8bn for redress for sub‑postmasters wrongly prosecuted owed to failures successful Fujitsu's Horizon IT system.

The institution is yet to lend towards compensation contempt saying it had a "moral obligation" to, 2 years ago.

Paul Patterson, manager astatine Fujitsu Services Ltd, was besides questioned by MPs astir the institution securing nationalist assemblage declaration extensions worthy an estimated £500m, amid assurances it would not bid for caller UK authorities work.

Chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee of MPs, Liam Byrne, told the executive: "Your refusal to archer america however overmuch Fujitsu volition wage into a £1.8bn measure for taxpayers leads radical to the decision that frankly Fujitsu is behaving similar a parasite connected the British authorities without an work to measurement up to its obligations."

The Fujitsu brag rejected the accusation stating: "We're not a parasite... the authorities has got an enactment arsenic to whether they privation to widen those contracts oregon not. If you privation america to locomotion distant from those contracts, we'll locomotion distant from those contracts," helium said.

He argued that ending Fujitsu's authorities enactment would beryllium "detrimental to society" and insisted the institution had lone extended its Post Office declaration due to the fact that ministers requested it.

The enforcement pointed to Fujitsu's four‑decade beingness successful the UK, its 5,000 employees and its web of subcontractors, saying the steadfast remained "a precise superior organisation" committed to its responsibilities.

Pressure is mounting connected the authorities to unafraid a important fiscal publication from Fujitsu, which built and maintained the Horizon strategy astatine the centre of 1 of the UK's biggest miscarriages of justice.

During the committee hearing, however, it became wide that Fujitsu volition beryllium waiting until the decision to the nationalist enquiry into the scandal, chaired by Sir Wyn Williams, earlier announcing a circumstantial figure.

Mr Patterson besides said that Fujitsu needs to beryllium "informed by Sir Wyn" adding that much accusation has travel to airy since helium past appeared earlier the committee including astir the "Capture system".

"I didn't cognize astir a Capture system," helium said, "I didn't cognize determination were victims of that, I didn't cognize determination was ineligible proposal successful 2013 telling the Post Office what to bash oregon not to.

"That is wherefore Sir Wyn's proposal is really, truly important to america and volition pass the committedness I americium giving you again and that I person fixed to the committee earlier that we volition lend to redress."

Capture was an accounting strategy utilized successful the 1990s pre‑dating Horizon, which besides produced unreliable data.

Sky News has helped exposure the standard of the ungraded by uncovering a long‑lost papers successful a retired expert's garage.

The league besides heard from others connected to the Post Office scandal, including victims' lawyers, who echoed calls for greater urgency successful delivering redress and justice.

Nigel Railton, seat of the Post Office, said it was his idiosyncratic sentiment that the authorities should legislate to exonerate Capture victims, akin to Horizon victims.