The British government and Fujitsu have agreed to begin talks on compensation for the Post Office scandal involving the Horizon accounting software developed by the Japanese company.
British Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds held talks on the matter with Fujitsu CEO Takahito Tokita and others in Tokyo on Friday, according to a joint statement from the two sides.
According to the statement, Reynolds said after the meeting: “We must never forget the lives ruined by the Horizon scandal and no amount of redress can take away that pain. But justice can and must be done.”
The minister also expressed the government’s determination to “continue to make rapid progress on compensation and redress.”
The Fujitsu side reiterated its commitment to its “moral obligation” to contribute to the government’s compensation for the victims of the scandal, the statement said.
In the scandal, accounting errors occurred at post offices across Britain that had introduced the accounting software. More than 700 people including post office chiefs were indicted on embezzlement and other charges by 2015.
The problem was later found to have been caused by flaws in the software. Last year, a compensation law was enacted in Britain.
