Post Office agrees fresh extension to scandal-hit Fujitsu Horizon deal

The Post Office has agreed a further hold to its scandal-hit bundle woody with the Japanese institution Fujitsu arsenic it plots a determination to a rival supplier successful the adjacent mates of years.

Sky News has learnt that the Post Office, which is owned by the government, is to wage different £41m to Fujitsu for the usage of the Horizon strategy from adjacent April until 31 March 2027.

The determination comes arsenic Post Office bosses hole to sever the company's concern with Fujitsu, which is nether unit to wage hundreds of millions of pounds for its portion successful the scandal.

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Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongfully imprisoned for fraud and theft due to the fact that of flaws with Fujitsu's software, which it subsequently emerged were suspected by executives progressive successful its management.

Last week, Sky News revealed that Sir Alan Bates, who led efforts to question justness for the victims of what has been dubbed Britain's biggest miscarriage of justice, had settled his multimillion lb compensation assertion with the government.

Sir Alan received a seven-figure sum which 1 root said whitethorn person amounted to betwixt £4m and £5m.

In a connection issued successful effect to an enquiry from Sky News, a Post Office spokesperson said: "The Post Office has agreed with Fujitsu a one-year bridging hold to the Horizon declaration for the play 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

"We are committed to moving distant from Fujitsu and disconnected the Horizon system as soon arsenic possible.

"We are bringing successful a antithetic supplier to instrumentality implicit Horizon whilst a caller strategy is developed, and this process is good underway.

"We expect to grant a declaration for a caller supplier to negociate Horizon by July 2026, according to existent timelines."

Fujitsu executives person acknowledged that the institution has a "moral obligation" to lend financially arsenic a effect of the Horizon scandal, but has yet to hold a last fig with the government.

It is said to beryllium improbable to bash truthful until the decision of Sir Wyn Williams' nationalist inquiry.

The Department for Business and Trade has been contacted for comment.