Overview
- European chief Paul Patterson rejected an MP’s claim that Fujitsu is “a parasite,” saying the firm has not bid for new UK public contracts and would walk away from extensions if the government requested it.
- Patterson told MPs the company has made no accounting provision for compensation, as ministers cite a £1.8bn overall bill with about £1.32bn already paid to more than 10,000 claimants.
- He said Fujitsu holds around £500m in UK public sector contract extensions, including to keep Horizon running, while maintaining that any payment decision awaits Sir Wyn Williams’s final inquiry report.
- Inquiry evidence and a 2015 whistleblower account underscored unaudited remote access and backdoors used by Fujitsu support staff, and a 2013 internal email showed senior figures briefing to play down media concerns.
- The CCRC told MPs new Post Office information suggests Horizon was installed earlier than previously believed, which could widen the pool of convictions eligible for automatic quashing under the 2024 legislation.