Post Office lawyer accused of lying about Horizon software in Inquiry grilling

Former lawyer for the Post Office Jarnail Singh was in front of the Post Office inquiry on Friday where he was cornered over his knowledge of defects in the Horizon IT system whilst taking action against sun postmasters.
Subscribe to our new podcast now, or you're a silly goose:
linktr.ee/pubcast

[@markr8650]

He's a disgrace to us Sikhs. How dare he swear on the Holy Guru Granth Sahib and then proceed to lie through his teeth!

[@MrDarkweaver]

I wouldn't single out the Sikhs, he's a disgrace to human beings :)

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

Hey news just in - religious people of every 'faith' lie.

[@smokerjim]

​@@SamLowryDZ-015 yep, Paula Vennells was (and still is at this time) a lay preacher with the Church of England - and the last time I checked (before I left Catholicism 30 years ago), being honest and truthful was a big part of being a devout Christian.

[@irvy78]

Can you complain to someone about his swearing on your Holy Guru? Is that not something a fellow Sikh can do?( im a white roman Catholic 45yr old) I mean no disrespect 🙏

[@PiperStart]

He is a disgrace to his family above all else.

[@billsmith-hl8rk]

They do basic IT courses in prison, teaching prisoners how to save documents, use printers etc. He will benefit from it.

[@johannesnicolaas]

Nice!

[@perthyren601]

Hehe

[@Ghostrabbit22]

Nobody goes to jail , ever

[@marinka424]

Oh I wondered what I needed to do to learn how to save docs and print off. Lots of us oldies often don’t waste money on a desk top computer and just have an iPad, perhaps that’s why we don’t understand desk top terminology.

[@ms9585]

Yeah, he will be a top student

[@dwdrum11]

Can we have a round of applause for Jason Beer, I cannot understand how he hasn’t lost it with all the lies being told!

[@kenstats739]

He is known for this style of questioning. Nice and pleasant, but difficult questions, and let the witness get themself into trouble.

[@SkinnyCow.]

3 million pounds in fees helps him deal with the lies

[@ronnieince4568]

It seems to be a requirement for a senior job in the Post Office to be suffering from.Alzheimers as nobody can remember anything !!

[@carolynellis387]

​@@SkinnyCow.Hope that comes from Vennells' 3 million bonus

[@kitiyana]

👏👏👏 he’s brilliant !

[@dukenukem5768]

8:18 KC : "What does that paragraph mean then?" Singh : "I don't know what it means .." KC : "You wrote it"

[@MrSteviebabe]

I’m pissed myself at that bit!

[@user-wn6nj8ox5f]

😂😂😂😂

[@FestivalFluttersFacebook]

Tell me you're flustered & panicking without telling me... I um um ah, it's not what you're suggesting... What is it then? Erm um um ah, I dont know. What a prat.

[@sergioalmasy8722]

"But it wasn't supposed to read like that, that's not what it meant" - Paula Vennells(!!)

[@johnrob6132]

This man Singh is unbelievable. He didn`t know anyone in Post Office other than his line manager. He didn`t know anything, everything was out of his remit, he didn`t remember anything, nothing originated from him he just followed instructions from others, he never made a decision .He didn`t know the basics of a computer that a five year old would know and never read his emails .How on earth did he qualify as a solicitor ? Did he do anything in his years at POL other than to claim his over inflated salary and look forward to his generous pension?

[@TheStevenWhiting]

Lots of them (managers) appear to be like this there. The manager of the investigation team said he didn't know anything. He just did what others told him. He got given documents that were technical and just signed them off as he relied on everyone else to do his job. So many of them were like this. They are all the Tom Smykowski character from Office Space "What is it you actually do here?"

[@benglishman]

Yeah, but at least he knows how to print a doc--- oh wait.

[@quesoestbonne]

​@@TheStevenWhitinghe still has his red swingline stapler

[@ptonpc]

Lots of concentration camp guards and other perpetrators of atrocities give the same excuse. 'I was just following orders'. I bet he was more than happy to take his blood money.

[@cyberhome101]

The token deadwood to meet the woke quota

[@megaannie1962]

Let’s hope some of these lying bastards go to jail 😡

[@keegan773]

C’mon, tell us how you really feel. 😂

[@MikeHowe1969]

Sooner this enquiry is over,the sooner criminal investigations can begin and hopefully we get several convictions

[@user-dx4fh7he1g]

I’ll tell you…let’s hope these fukin bastards go to jail

[@kirishima638]

They won’t

[@Jazz-tv4qr]

In your dreams I'm afraid, but I can hear the comments in the background when I heard this on my earphones while doing housework, I know they are beying for justice in the room.

[@valandnormdevonport3421]

Jason Beer is a masterful examiner-the research he has to undertake prior to cross examining is massive.A joy to watch at work.

[@jamesp8569]

I do feel sorry for poor old Mr Singh. He must have been minding his own buisness when, one day, walking past the Post Office HQ, someone unknown to him ran out of the building and thrust a series of legal files into his hands and told him he was now the PO's criminal lawyer. That is the only plausible explanation for this farce.

[@ladymuck5561]

No, he started as the cleaner!

[@hayleyb2254]

This comment made me lol 😆😆😆😆

[@vrindersinghrandhawa6343]

He may well have; on the coat tails of mediocrity

[@Haberdashery22]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@maf74]

He can't even look at the questioner. So many giveaways that this man should be prosecuted, pay back his earnings and lose access to work pensions - because he was a fraud unable to do his job (by his own words). Simply unbelievable.

[@kellwickcornwall7885]

I believe it's 'Obtaining a pecuniary advantage by misrepresentation'. It beggars belief the Post Office made him head of criminal law...... The criminal element appears to be solely how he operated.

[@NeonVisual]

He must be a Tory.

[@ScarboroughTourist]

There was a lady lawyer from Northern Ireland who did the exact same thing; dementia at very convenient moments. At least she didn't waffle on at length with nothing to say.

[@exiledscouser919]

⁠@@kellwickcornwall7885it’s worse. He had obligations to disclose things that might assist a defence case or undermine his own. Not just in one case, it’s an ongoing obligation to do so under CPIA 1996. So if I as a prosecutor were to learn that evidence used to convict someone in a case I was running becomes discredited either at the time or (say) a few years later it would fall to me to disclose that fact. He’s open to prosecution for Pervert the Course of Justice and conspiracy to do so with others in the know at the time, max penalty is life! I saw that the SRA (Solicitors Regulatory Authority) watched Singh’s evidence with someone writing a running commentary on their website. So karma is coming for Mr. Singh in one form or another. It’s been a shit-show from the off this enquiry, these shysters ran a coach and horses through statutory safeguards, railroading subbies into unjust verdicts, bankrupting some, ruining reputations, jailing the innocent, causing early deaths and despairing suicides all whilst protecting their flawed Horizon system and now it seems their own miserable hides too. Be interesting to see who, if any gets to grip the rail. Edit for typos.

[@Karlos.xx.travels]

I don't understand why they're not being arrested!!! someone explain to me how the f k they are not all arrested it's insane

[@EmptyGlass99]

He's lying through his teeth. The tone of that email makes it abundantly clear that he knows exactly who the other people are.

[@fredsmith1970]

He has absolutely no credibility. His answers are just squirming waffle.

[@markcarlon8558]

All these people have been coached by some lawyer, and told to deny that they seen anything, or knew anything, or can't remember, I really hope that after this inquiry, these people are charged and taken to court, if not then it's been covered up again.

[@Lloyd.Browne]

I’m at an age where don’t need to lie… By a liar

[@PJMcInerney]

Friday I pictured Mandy T spluttering into her morning coffee

[@neilwelch7273]

Send him to bloody prison. What a disgusting corrupt little country this has become.

[@elizagoodytwoshoes9140]

So has our little country way down under, there is no common law for real people ruled by charlatans.

[@abc33944]

its always been like this,,, only now we can paper trail .... bang to rights !!

[@supershippy100]

Mr Beer doing the nation proud!

[@user-bl4xm6nq3v]

Indeed. The difference between a lawyer and a KC is vast is it not?

[@avoidconfusion]

They all need to be prosecuted and jailed

[@user-wm1qy6wu7c]

Agree

[@jefflong7573]

Best comment.

[@markrichards636]

All of them, including Ministers

[@michaelmcginley7930]

​@@jefflong7573naive comment none will be jailed they will all escape scott free even though they are guilty.thats the best comment

[@michaelmcginley7930]

Another disgusting individual.just a horrible person

[@martinburn]

It's strange how makes himself out to be the stupidest lawyer ever with no understanding of written English, it's good to see him squirm though.

[@pippipster6767]

It’s not strange at all … he HAS to do it. It is not a crime to be stupid. It is a crime to pervert the course of justice and hide evidence and lie on oath. He thinks that if he is concluded to be merely stupid then he won’t be in trouble. The bad news for him is, the enquiry is bound to find he is telling lie after lie after lie. For him, I reckon he will eventually find himself in jail as a result of criminal proceedings to follow this enquiry.

[@WhichDoctor1]

It’s the go to excuse in modern Tory Britain. If you’re caught in totally blatant wrong doing just explain that you are utterly incompetent and had no idea what your job was or what any of the rules were. If necessary plead a level of disconnection with reality that would have gotten you sacked from a paper round. And expect that to absolve you from all consequences while leaving your personal and professional legacy completely intact. It often works to. Boris Johnson claimed to have had zero idea what the laws he himself passed meant and to have barely known what room he was in or what he was doing at any point in his prime ministership as a way of getting out of blatant criminal acts. And he never faced serious legal repercussions and is still one of the highest paid journalists in the country and a significant portion of the Tory party desperately want him to return as PM. You can see why every lower level weasel and grifter see see it as a viable defence

[@smokerjim]

​@@WhichDoctor1do you think anyone has told him (and others trying this tactic) that this reverse Nuremberg/incompetent stupidity defence (Westminster Village defence?) only works for those at the top of the tree. Prime and Cabinet ministers, senior executives, and the like won't see a criminal court, MPs and other boardroom executives should be found not guilty/case thrown out, everyone else is thrown to a baying, vengeful crowd.

[@Richs_reef]

@@pippipster6767I agree, the evidence is overwhelmingly highlight he is a key participant in the coverup.

[@martinburn]

@@pippipster6767 you do realise I said this in mock and know exactly what he's doing.😉

[@michaelvout7813]

Shameful conduct. Please, please take this disgraceful liar to court.

[@donnaweston7697]

Jason Beer is the most calm, collected and calm person I have ever seen. How he has not banged his head off his lecturn during some of the questioning he has undertaken. Plus last week he turned up whilst having the flu to question a witness. Jason Beer deserves a Knighthood 😁

[@debibuxton1335]

Or just gone for gold and back handed him

[@jonchilds1637]

Jason Beer KC - The Gentleman Assassin!

[@doggy55915]

10k aday helps with the stress

[@jonchilds1637]

@@doggy55915 don't think there's much stress when you're the one holding all the aces!

[@Nish-cl4bn]

I’d turn up to work with broken bones if I was paid £10k a day. Knighthood! Give me a break 😂

[@andersonomo597]

The dog ate my home work. End of story. This is gaslighting on steroids and breath-takingly arrogant but that he got so high up in the Post Office system is even more damning. Dog/homework does not exonerate him. We've seen this before in history. He needs to be on trial for many reasons.

[@monteceitomoocher]

The last time i saw such breathtaking arrogance and blatant lying was the trial by television interview of Dr Emil Savundra by David Frost, they're both complete crooks, this guy should be facing prison for his crimes.

[@obisan666]

Lol! So true... and denying everything is thr only way they won't incriminate themselves.

[@angiehaddington6462]

Jail. Jail. Jail. Him, Vennells, vdB and others, who bloody knew. THEY KNEW and they STILL procecuted.

[@Adrian-pp2qp]

Thank God for people like Jason Beer KC! This guy is simply amazing and he’s just so eloquently turning over the stones and revealing the true face of this scandal!

[@DUCATI600CC]

I'm amazed how calm and collected Jason Beer remained when he recognised the lies coming from the mouth of Singh. I would have found it difficult to remain unmoved in such a situation !

[@janetwood1507]

I am now retired. But spent over twenty years as a senior nurse in an accute mental health unit. I learned that any wrong actions or neglect of responsibilities were never accepted by senior higher paid personnel. Their practice was always to find a person of a lower grade or status below them to blame and so on until it reached the person actually at the coal face who would be held responsible. If I felt that I was becoming vulnerable to such practice I always wrote a letter to the next ranking person above me stating my position and concerns thus passing the responsibility to them. I always kept a copy. Thus I protected myself from any incompetent and inadequate senior personnel. These people will not hesitate to pass the blame to those lower in the heirachy. Now we see just who these people at the top are. They have been rumbled.

[@greg16266]

Exactly. CYA on everything, Teflon coat and distance yourself from poor management.

[@eternallight7]

I’m a rtd RN, OHN and I spent a lot of time ensuring I covered my ass whenever pen met paper for all the reasons you stated. Integrity is not an attribute of many managers I met.

[@Vegansharks]

Thats why I am unsure of Lucy Letby being guilty, and they all hide behind highcourt buzzwords and media outlets running narratives against the accused, disgusting.

[@EarthHart1]

What a liar. He's not only lying through his teeth but also through his arse. He should be Prosecuted.

[@shabirvalli8604]

😂

[@stevenhoward3358]

Perhaps he can do conveyancing for the other inmates, like The Shawshank Redemption.

[@PaulJakma]

He surely will be.

[@roddersfiftynine]

Despie being unwell Jason Beer simply wiped the floor with this pathological liar. There`s a special place in hell reserved for liars like this.

[@stevec7876]

He is the type of guy who doesn’t do a days work but goes to meetings and pontificates and BSs and avoids responsibility. Takes a fat salary and pension but zero responsibility.

[@user-oi9yy4zz3k]

Spot on Steve, well said.

[@bobbennett4813]

In a criminal court with a jury this line of ‘I can’t remember’ will not wash.

[@sabre22b]

We wish it would go there. It won't. A disgrace.

[@bobbennett4813]

@@sabre22b oh I think the sub postmasters/postmistresses will not be short of supporting funds to bring private prosecutions

[@angiehaddington6462]

That's what their teams have told them to say. God knows how this man got through law school, how he analyses data, reads his mail or how he functions as a human. His life must be a mess, now its got even messier. He needs to be brought to task

[@TesterAnimal1]

It happens all the time.

[@specialandroid1603]

It is acceptable in criminal court. If you cant remember (maybe because the event happened a long time ago) - then you cant remember. In a court with a jury it might not go down well though.

[@coam3708]

Beer as sharp as razor ...a great silk...he needs to be knighted for this....Sir Beer has a ring to it agreed

[@oghamstone5964]

It would be great if the inquiry set up a "Buy Beer a Beer" for his fans.

[@davidnash8586]

I love him and the other two huge brain boxed men who don’t even try to hide their contempt for the people they are questioning ! Each of the lawyers throughout these procedures have been clinically decisive and they all deserve public recognition ! Now onwards to Venells and I can’t wait to see her try to squirm away from accepting responsibility !

[@twelveightyone]

I'd love to meet Jason Beer and buy him a beer. These are the kind of unsung heroes that bring justice. What a guy, the way he systematically debunks all the hokum being presented to him. A total master of his work. Respect.

[@georgejackson3570]

He's an intellectual beast. Squeaky bum time for anyone who has this man on the opposition side.

[@timravenscroft1113]

I love Beer too... and the other 2 cool gents... And the young Lady doesn't let a goal get through, she's like a crouching tiger! Nice but mean! 😉😄 They all deserve recognition and NOT the kind Vennals got! (for what is beyond me).... REAL RECOGNITION! They have shown everyone, how its MEANT to be done!! 💛

[@AlDidit-tf1zo]

Lying to a court used to be an imprisonable offense. Theses days, it just corporate policy.

[@mikedakin2016]

this not a court. It is an enquiry.

[@honorw4125]

The scary thing is, how many other powerful companies have corrupt individuals like this??!!

[@DUCATI600CC]

How about adding the ferry fiasco that has been going on for years up here in Scotland with millions of pounds being thrown overboard and no-one being held to account---then there's the missing £600.000 still unaccounted for, need I go on, there's more !

[@timravenscroft1113]

The P.O/ Government scandal and this spectacular Inquiry is shining a light on and giving us all a flavour of how the whole Country is staffed and run from the top down!!

[@AnthonyTobyEllenor-pi4jq]

It's called, "the Establishment", I saw this when I joined the civil service from school, one senior guy told me, " if you want to get on you must join the Freemasons ".

[@eisbeinGermany]

just remember all over the world its like that, all people working at government departments are useless lazy and not very bright, that I noticed when I moved from South Africa in Jan 2018 to Germany and had to apply for my permit,they kept on asking me for my papers that I had handed in at the German embassy in Pretoria when I applied to move to Germany, but it was all in the system,

[@elguapo1507]

The idea that these people colluded to frame completely innocent people just continues to astound me! They lost everything.... absolutely EVERYTHING! Please tell me they're not going to get away with these crimes just because there's been a public enquiry!

[@susanmarch1661]

And because they are the so called elite

[@quietudinal4857]

He is doomed in the eyes of the public from the inept words from his own mouth but he is only a criminal if he is prosecuted and convicted. However, to the criminal standard, he is innocent until proven guilty. Irony is that his role in PO/RM was to assume PMs were guilty (and Horizon was faultless) despite presumtion of innocence by PMs charged/dismissed/admonished.

[@primafacie6442]

This guy isn’t called Singh, he’s really called Scott Free

[@timravenscroft1113]

When Singh was sent up to Scotland with a team from Cartwright King because the Procurator Fiscal was planning to overturn all Scottish prosecutions over this scandal ..... The guys from C.k. got the train there ( 1st class I expect) .... But Singh had to FLY there!! Shows how important HE thought he was, all paid for by the tax payer, then, in the enquiry admitted being sent there but knew nothing about Scottish Law, had no imput and basically didn't know what the Procurator Fiscal did up there!! ... Only the Scottish equivalent of the Crown Prosecutor!! Unbelievable!! He shouldn't have bothered flying up there at all! Just shows how full of his self importance he was within the P.O.!

[@Steve14ps]

Does he know where Scotland is? No disrespect to a Scotsman

[@joparish1037]

Astonishing! Talk about being on the gravy train, quite literally! I wonder how many more like him there are, hiding in plain sight in government departments, public companies and elsewhere?

[@Steve14ps]

@@joparish1037 The world is full of people promoted beyond their capabilities. Sadly there are decent people that don't get a look in.

[@glasgowmcglasgowfacevotegr7049]

I do really like the name Procurator Fiscal, even though there is nothing fiscal about the procurator fiscal.

[@timravenscroft1113]

@@glasgowmcglasgowfacevotegr7049 me too, sounds naughty 😋

[@mjc7772]

I’m afraid in the post office and other similar government institutions there are a lot of hard working competent people in low positions and a lot of incompetent people in high positions

[@darkangel9171]

Really well put. In my experience, that's exactly how it is.

[@jeeptwister]

You are describing ‘The Peter Principle’ here 😉

[@ThecovertCustomer]

In a nutshell!

[@christineduffy3113]

​@darkangel9171 Correct in all walks of life unfortunately

[@user-it9mn5cr2d]

And god help anyone who tries to whistle blow

[@garywilson1235]

It seems a lot of these people being questioned are suffering from amnesia. Or more like they’re protecting their own profound incompetence. I trust there will be criminal charges brought against them? And in some cases, corporate manslaughter charges. Disgraceful, self serving individuals.

[@lonyo5377]

A little harsh to say amnesia when we're talking about things from more than 10 years ago. There is a reasonable assumption you might forget things...

[@travelwell6049]

It’s amusing to see a string of I don’t recall, I don’t recall and then suddenly an instant denial; I definitely didn’t do that, I did this exact thing that I suddenly have crystal clear memory of.

[@garywilson1235]

@@lonyo5377 Even with damning evidence via e mail trails, you’re saying these people have no case to answer because they can’t remember what happened 10 years ago?

[@davidstone1579]

@@lonyo5377 No, it is not. They have already been provided with all the papers they are being shown, and have had a long time to consider the whole situation. I simply don't believe them.

[@MrDarkweaver]

He's either lying through his teeth, or so professionally incompetent that it was criminal negligence to have him in the position he was in. In either case, he should be either criminally prosecuted for obstruction of justice or criminal negligence and sent to jail. Personally I'd send him to jail for the combined period of time that SPMs were sent to jail individually. Strip him of his pension and make him pay back all bonus paid to him. Publically humiliate him and destroy whatever reputation he has left.

[@chunky67]

Now that would be justice served but somehow i cant see it happening

[@eugenecartwright4390]

People in power abusing the system

[@MrDarkweaver]

@@eugenecartwright4390 At least in this case, they are being held accountable at least in terms of public knowledge. We'll see what happens post inquiry, but I would expect several criminal trials, for at least Paula Vennells, Angela van den Bogard, Chris Aujard and Gareth Jenkins to start with. Jarnail Singh should be amongst them. Of all of them, he is one of the most involved, in the miscarriages.

[@elliewood3154]

Didn’t read any emails, didn’t have any responsibility, didn’t understand any of the cases, didn’t meet any of his co-workers… what was Mr Singh employed to do, exactly?

[@user-dx4fh7he1g]

Liar,liar,liar,liar……..just protecting his massive pension……jail time for these liars

[@Blackhawk7117]

It just shows what a terrible state the Post Office got itself into. They appear to have been employing these incredibly inexperienced, incompetent people like Jarnail Singh in such senior positions. The business was only heading one way. What is completely unacceptable here is the prosecutorial powers they had which when added to their ineptitude, resulted in them ruining innocent people’s lives.

[@abc33944]

Privatising just creates a mafioso Culture … them and us

[@nigelfrancis2514]

Probably every similar department in the country operates the same , the thing we all should be aware of is that if the system accuses you of anything , no matter how innocent you are , it’s time to skip this country

[@aramachia91]

Kudos to Jason Beer for his cross examination. The whole Post Office team keep lying, it is awful to watch and they deserve prosecution and jail time

[@andrewmcgonagle6290]

Yes, but it's not so awful watching them squirm in their hot seats thinking of jail time.

[@Plethorality]

If they are still lying, when it is already out in the open, is there something else they are trying to hide?

[@markrobinson1458]

The nerve of the man, he's going through this like he's a stranger dragged in off the streets, i know nothing about nothing 😡

[@sandydobbie1255]

The lies from this Post Office Lawyer are deafening !!! These liars who prolonged and manipulated these prosecutions must be held accountable and pay dearly for their malfeasance!!!

[@billsmith-hl8rk]

Put him in front of a jury and let's see if they accept his explanation. Vennells however will not be able to fall back on the limp excuse of never having read an email etc, the audio recordings prove she knew.

[@roberttracey3633]

Perverting the course of justice

[@Jazz-tv4qr]

Yes with the help of Fujitsu and the post office to steal money from their employees, extortion at the highest level. I hope no other company does this in the future if they are going under, PO was worried about insolvency in those years for a time so they devised a cruel plan to extort money from their SPM's, I really hope I am wrong but sorry this looks like it, any other company would have stopped Horizon in its tracks when it was proved it was not working right, this smacks of extortion/fraud to me.

[@stevenhoward3358]

Well done Mr Beer, a formidable questioner. Imagine him arriving home and asking his wife what's for dinner. "I want to go out for dinner" she says. Jason: "That is an answer to a different question, dear. That is the answer to the question do you want to go out for dinner?". Mrs Beer: "Oh Jason, leave that at the office, you're at home now. I am not Mr Singh".

[@dwdei8815]

"I didn't know, I didn't understand, I didn't read it, I know I wrote that but I didn't know what it meant..." This man was instrumental in shutting down fair investigation, instrumental in the "legal" persecution of innocent people. JAIL.

[@johns5558]

I agree with your assessment.

[@user-lt2rp3kd3d]

This guy was lying continually,and new about the dodgy system and still prosecuted innocent people, and if there's any justice he should be barred from the legal profession for life and sent to jail for a lengthy term,

[@scottishrob7119]

Sadly won't happen i bet ya, he will get away with it and this inquiry does nothing positive, like the covid inquiry

[@Plethorality]

Knew

[@fredsmith1970]

I don't remember receiving it (his email address is on "to" list|) , I don't remember reading it (it's stored on the local drive of his computer), I don't remember printing it (evidence that it had been sent to a printer in his workplace), I don't know the contents of it (though in communications him, he has .) How can he not be lying!!

[@edittide9842]

He then went on to claim he can’t have printed the document as he didn’t know how to print (at the time). It’s like a child’s lie. Simply ridiculous

[@PaulJakma]

He quite obviously is. He can try deny knowledge now all he wants, but the evidence is there that he knew a) of the bugs b) of the disclosure requirements, and that ,instead of doing what was required of a criminal lawyer involved in such cases and the highest criminal lawyer in the prosecuting body, he tried to cover it up. The evidence will send him to prison I hope.

[@joshuadoran6307]

This is a classic, "How to incriminate oneself", 101.

[@andrewstevens7453]

I can only listen to this for a couple minutes, it's sickening 😮

[@DUCATI600CC]

I hope there was a sick bucket close by !

[@lulabellegnostic8402]

This guy was paid a hell of a lot of money for, according to him, passing papers on without reading or actioning them.

[@honved1]

I’d rather admit everything and take the consequences than humiliate myself in front of everyone like this.

[@nigelfenn8680]

I guess you are not a narcissist 👍

[@susivarga7303]

Well, you probably don't have his pension pot.

[@honved1]

@@susivarga7303 I don’t, but no amount of money could erase my humiliation and guilt. It makes you wonder if these people are actually capable of feeling shame.

[@susivarga7303]

@@honved1 No, they are not, that is how they end up in top positions with mentioned pension and you don't. They'll never go down, ever, for what they did. The system protects itself.

[@eternallight7]

Psychopaths aren’t known for empathy. You aren’t a psychopath.

[@bryanfish7303]

They can say what they like at the inquiry. Saying "I don't recall" won't counter documented evidence in a criminal trial. The lawyers like Singh and Williams can see more clearly than some of the execs and investigators, that the jig is up and there is clear evidence of wrong doing that they are struggling to reasonably dispute.

[@ChrisM541]

Oh I really do hope they are tried, and convicted, of this evil cover up. They clearly know/remember everything, given the obvious implications on all those SPM's and their families of this sick cover up at the time.

[@ptonpc]

I doubt justice will be done.

[@bryanfish7303]

I think with the inquiry is being careful not to directly make accusations or mention offences. But certainly in the testimony of the two I mentioned, and execs like Van Den Bogard, and probably Vennels to come, what is being highlighted is evidence of actual crimes, perjury, perverting the course of justice etc. The law teams have been brilliantly clinical in laying our the trail that it makes the idea of noone being prosecuted ridiculous to me.

[@terrapyn99]

It's straight out of the Boris Johnson playbook and needs to be stamped down upon.

[@eisbeinGermany]

this is going to go the same way the Zondo commission was done in South Africa, the videos are on here, it took 3 years to run, cost billions of Rands and 2 years later ,still no one has been found guilty and gone to jail, even after the commission saw how corrupt the ANC government is,

[@user-qk2rv6qv2f]

He should be in prison for perjury

[@aala7337]

He can’t look at Beer at all when he’s questioned he has guilt written on his forehead!

[@bobbyeatsfood2]

More slippery than an oil bath. He's either mentally incompetent or guilty as sin and in denial. I know what I think..

[@stephenreeds3632]

It's possible that he's both!

[@PaulJakma]

He can lie all he wants. The documents from the time show that he was made aware of the bugs, and also that he knew about disclosure requirements - he wrote as such when it became obvious that Second Sight unavoidably would disclose the bugs to MPs. He can try lie today he didn't know then, but he obviously did. And hopefully those documents will put him in jail.

[@MrButtonpresser]

This guy is literally unbelievable

[@matthewhaddon599]

I'm positive that the PO would have known that the Horizon system was flawed when it first installed. The employer I used to work for, also introduced software that was flawed and they knew from the off that there was a problem. There were meetings with staff at the time, but the management would not admit any fault. The Post Office executives would have known that the software was faulty, but they just tried to muddle through and ignored concerns raised by postmasters shortly after the system was installed. They have continued to try to deny any liability as have the lawyers and other people working for them. They should all be in prison for a long time. Due to this government's lack of backbone, they will continue to get away with these lies.

[@Joe-bd7rn]

He says he cannot save files,but the hard drive on his computer proved otherwise. I'm sure he not only saved them,but probably printed them out and forwarded them on to other people associated with this cover up! These people put innocent Sub-Postmasters in prison, traumatised hundreds of people,folk died before they got their names cleared, pregnant woman sent to prison too....they all knew years beforehand that the horizon system had issues,but still prosecuted people!? From the managers,to the lawyers,to the investigators...they all are responsible for what happened in one way or another in the prosecution of innocent Sub-Postmasters and their families. Nobody is taking responsibility from the Post office. Nobody wants to own up. Nobody can give an honest or straight answer. This is a national disgrace and many of these people need to face criminal charges.

[@CRADDSTER]

The file location on the doc is temporary internet files, that means he opened the document from an email, but didn't manually save it anywhere. Sounds like he should have saved it though.

[@kathykay9920]

JAIL time. Crowdfund. We can do it

[@grahambrader8777]

I think it will unfortunately have ro come to that .I don't think the police will do anything

[@1mlister]

Err. That’s not how gaol works..

[@c-9233]

@@1mlister It is if the subpostmasters have to crowdfund to make a private criminal prosecution, as the Post Office did with them. The police should prosecute in this case but if they don't, private prosecutions are a recourse.

[@stuartainsworth4123]

I agree, do a crowd fund ,and put this bumbling,hum arr, huff puff head in hands LIAR in jail. What’s with the head dress pre evidence…? Out and out lying hypocrite

[@sdg172]

“I am at an age…where i don’t need to go prison”

[@cuttwice3905]

Like any sane person believes him?

[@davidcolin6519]

He can't explain the language that he used! So obviously lying, not even Mr Jason Beer, KC can take his answers seriously. I must congratulate Mr Beer on managing to keep a look of incredulity from his face. I would have been asking questions like "What TF are you talking about? You WROTE the F*cking document!"

[@michaeldilcock4466]

"Public Inquiries" appear repeatedly to assess the facts in detail, embarrass the guilty to some greater or lesser extent, then let them go Scot Free; with "Lessons to be Learned". These people should be investigated by the Police, duly charged and brought before the criminal court.

[@gordonsimpson3235]

Yep, Zero eye contact....guilty as!

[@stephenparker9434]

Surely PO lawyer Mr Singh was lying under oath. Working at Post Office for years and he says he did not know how to save and print a file. Any professional person needs to keep & retain digital information as part of doing their job. People can learn to do that within minutes. The report he received identifying bugs in the Horizon system was saved and printed out within 9 minutes. With a signature footnote user identification of the person printing the copy from a machine at the bottom of the pages. It's difficult to believe his statement, yet he denies receiving the report. If Mr Singh did not personally print the report as claimed, who did? And wouldn't it have been passed to him!

[@CRADDSTER]

The location in the video is temporary internet files, that means he opened the document from an email, but didn't manually save it anywhere. Sounds like he should have saved it.

[@gherkamum]

Vennells, Perkins, Van den Bogerd, Aujard, Davies all need to be criminally charged & prosecuted IMHO

[@chris-vn6sw]

If he didn’t print the email, he needs to show who else did and had access to his computer 🤔😡

[@Funglutton]

This is a great example of why its always good to keep a contemporaneous paper trail confirming discussions/agreements. You never know who will turn on you and lie about or conveniently forget what they said.

[@navi2710]

Suddenly he doesn't remember anything.

[@johnwalkley6746]

No. He couldn’t remember anything in his first sitting at the desk! JB is far too sharp for this guy.

[@navi2710]

@@johnwalkley6746 I want a job where I can't do anything because I can't remember anything.

[@abc33944]

@navi2710 Can you say that again … I don’t recall ?

[@navi2710]

@@abc33944 I don't rememeber what was said.

[@AbiSalmon2023]

I am weeping for the loss of lives associated with this scandal. It’s despicable. How can these people live with themselves.

[@enyanyea4226]

The only things he remembers are other people's actions. He can't even remember what he meant when he wrote emails. In a court, with a jury, there is no way this man would not be found guilty. Because he is guilty. To have only called him a liar once shows great retraint on the part of Jason.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

A classic case of why "Don't rock the boat" shouldn't exist in companies. I've said it for years yet it still continues, especially in IT when a manager of a project doesn't want to "loose face", hence the Horizon scandal was allowed to happen. They had so many people there agreeing to not rock the boat. Not one of them said "Stop. Instead of denying the issues, lets acknowledge them and work with the Sub Postmasters to find a solution. They very may well be able to find us a common process that creates the fault"

[@stevecarter8810]

Don't forget the post office tried to refuse to use horizon and were overridden from above! Dickery upon dickery.

[@gileshumphry]

Most jobs I have had have asked me to break the law (usually because the manager is ignorant of the law but not always). I'd be interested how many others have had the same experience.

[@stevecarter8810]

@@gileshumphry I definitely see people who are open about problems getting sidelined and replaced by those with a "can do" attitude. I can imagine in a legally constrained area this would lead to... Colourful... Outcomes

[@johns5558]

@@gileshumphry Early on in my career it was more explicit. then I started to see where things were headed or the pattern that would lead to that scenario (being asked to do something illegal or to lie in an evidenciary way, or to decieve to protect the business etc) so I would assiduously start to swerve away from anyone or any position that showed that pattern. For that reason I am a contractor and never stay in organisations long as this pattern is endemic across corporate and government. This guy and the PO seniors were in deep on this and Vennells needed to overrule them and simply get it sorted as soon as it became obvious. She knew as did they all. She had the power to call it. She should have (And maybe lost her job because of it). Better for her to lose her job than to stand for this. She should have known (she did know), she should have acted. It WAS her responsibility.

[@chinonye2]

What a shameful way to bring the legal profession into disrepute 😮

[@janwynne-woodhouse5144]

"I'm at an age where I have come to assist this inquiry" What, what what

[@stephrichards4611]

Jail time coming for Mr Singh

[@rebeccaporter5445]

Love Mr Beer has a bit of Rumpole of the Bailey humour ❤

[@twelveightyone]

He's a new hero of mine. I love watching someone so skilled in their career. No one in the Post Office has a chance when they sit for cross examination with Mr. Jason Beer KC. He should be Knighted.

[@viviennestockley1396]

Agree totally.

[@wendysimpson6395]

My eyes nearly rolled back and stuck there whilst I watched this. His lack of empathy and word salad whilst avoiding answering questions reminds me of the orange toddler in court over the pond.

[@jonpowell8503]

The sad thing with all this enquiry is millions upon millions will be spent on it but at the end of the day no one will be convicted or imprisoned for their part in these lies and scandal. Just the rich boys club all looking out for each other! This enquiry is just a way of trying to pacify the masses. We should push and push until every single one who covered this up is behind bars for a very very long time

[@JustinVr-dx1kz]

Very true I didn't think of it like that but u right

[@DUCATI600CC]

Similar events happened under Sturgeons watch up here in Scotland that carried on for years---no-one held responsible until recently when the dam burst and the lies and deceptions came gushing out and the cover up's started !

[@Quidditch54321]

At least their reputations will be different.

[@lorrainepaul6962]

Please look how the guy WILL NOT LOOK at the man asking questions

[@glentyan2505]

Perhaps his strategy is to deny everything until he is charged whereupon his memory will miraculously return to plead guilty and turn Kings evidence and sing like a canary for a lighter sentence.

[@TheStevenWhiting]

He bought his own solicitor with him to the inquiry. That speaks volumes.

[@1mlister]

Not necessarily. If the police ever ask for an interview or you ever find yourself in such a formal setting, take a solicitor. Innocent people incriminate themselves by accident all the time. Don’t trust people who say you don’t need a solicitor, they just dont want you to have one.

[@darkangel9171]

​@1mlister Singh IS a solicitor though. Why would he of all people need the advice of another solicitor on criminal matters? Solicitors are for people like us with no knowledge of the legal system and processes.

[@user-jv5qq1lr2p]

His body language alone screams "liar". It’s incomprehensible that a government-owned organization would employ people who would conspire to mislead a court of law.

[@robsengahay5614]

When you see for yourself just how crooked and malevolent all these people are you can appreciate why the sub postmasters were literally lambs to the slaughter. They had no hope up against the scum at the Post Office. I keep wondering whether the organisation actively weeded out and dismissed anyone with any integrity at an early stage leaving the dregs we see and hear at this enquiry.

[@franc9111]

Absolutely right.

[@charliedrake247]

He’s a criminal

[@peterpann2331]

I very much doubt any of these people involved will receive any custodial sentences as our justice system favours people with wealth and power, not like the innocent postmasters and mistresses who suffered as such.

[@susanmarch1661]

And did a full day's work unlike these ineffectual people

[@johnamckay1]

What a weasel! I hope he ends up in jail along with the rest of the truly despicable members of that Post Office management team. None of the have acknowledged any responsibility of anything they were paid substantial sums to handle.

[@squifferpop]

This is sickening.

[@garyh5541]

Sack and Imprison all in the Post Office!!!

[@mirjamwillemsen900]

It seems to me that many of the persons who caused the nightmares to the sub postmasters already have left the Post Office.

[@if6was985]

Not my postie tho...

[@Vince_uk]

In my opinion he is lying he knew precisely what it meant. I feel he fails to grasp A) the horrendous enormity and outright cruelty on SPM's lives of his actions and B) the seriousness and purpose of the inquiry, he thinks he can bluff his way through it and he is there just to "Assist". He needs his collar felt and felt very quickly.

[@johns5558]

For most of them, at this point, the revelation of grasping your points is nigh impossible. They'll believe its a politically motivated conspiracy against them and that their loyalty to the organisation and their own seniors has not been protected. Later, maybe they'll re-measure their position.

[@user-vl6op9yk6k]

No-one in the 'dock' seems to 'recall' anything. I don't think they even understand what they are saying themselves. I certainly don't.

[@deblong2052]

This is excruciating and damning stuff.

[@Mums_a_knitter]

The way he started rolling his 'r's half way through seems like a weird sort of defense mechanism

[@jasonuren3479]

He doesn't remember her but then says he had worked with her previously, if i understood what he said. Too many i don't recall's, didn't read/receive it etc. Totally unconvinced. And that's only 2-3 minutes in...

[@cp4512]

Singh is a miserable liar who has come to the enquiry as he was summoned and to try and hide his criminality.

[@cheriegoodwin6819]

I don't know, I don't recall, I can't remember they're all a bunch of bullies/liars.. absolutely disgraceful it makes you wonder what other companies are going to be found out...They just 'pivot' around question just like all MPs do to avoid answering what they're asked.....

[@oznogguitar]

How is this chap a lawyer, lack of recall is staggering and should be added to the long list of people who should be prosecuted. This is much worse than a scandal it’s just evil

[@johns5558]

His view, bs and deceit is common in gov and corporate. The baseline for competance is lower in gov but in both, assuming baseline competance is met, then shutting up, being loyal and toeing the line are highly rewarded. His rambling is a good way to stonewall and gate keep info for the organisation. Its quite common.

[@markpureplumbers3955]

This man is such an incompetent, who's wages comes out of the public purse. Vennell's must be over the moon, she can now say she was lead via her legal team, which was run by this drip. Who thought its good idea to place singh in charge of criminal law at post office, when by his own admission, he does not have the abilities to print and save a document on a pc. Jesus this country sometimes.

[@judithmatthews8460]

I think he was able to he’s just lying.

[@lonyo5377]

She can't claim that when she was clearly given documentation about issues

[@markpureplumbers3955]

@@judithmatthews8460 You think?

[@johns5558]

He passed the low bar for competance early on and rambling is just one of the instruments for gate keeping info to disloyal parties. His legal competance only needs to be oriented towards protecting the business. He also know that. KC Beer was bang on that he was hiring contractors / experts that would give them the opinion they wanted. Singh is guilty, deceitful, corrupt and culpable for this problem. Shameful.

[@DavidKing-wg3ez]

He seems happy potraying himself as an imbecile rather than corrupt. Both could be true.

[@johns5558]

Rambling, he probably realised - over time - is an effective enough stonewall. It is imbecilic but he'd realise hes rewarded if it protects the business - which is his REAL job at the PO over all those years. Loyalty is highly rewarded over competance. At some point in his career he realised that he met the required low baseline of competance and being loyal and protecting the business was all he needed to do to keep and progress his job. its surprisingly common. Hes totally corrupt, culpable and deceitful here.

[@dandominare]

I don't think I've ever seen a more obvious liar.

[@kevinthepilgrim5441]

There must be legal redress for this web of lies and corruption and people including Singh must be made accountable. It is already the worst travesty of justice ever perpetrated on innocent victims in this country and the trust in our legal professions and systems has been sorely damaged. Justice must be seen to be upheld or our judiciary will never be trusted again.

[@sibutterworth6542]

The duplicitous nature of these people is all out there for show. Watch and learn. These are the personality traits that govern your country.

[@user-zs5tn8oi7q]

How was this man appointed to a senior legal position within the Post Office? He is a bumbling fool. How did he pass his law exams? Solicitors should have excellent attention to detail and an excellent command of the English language. He has neither. His emails were so poorly written that he did not communicate effectively. Why did his superiors never question this? He genuinely can't tell the difference between a truth and a lie. He needs to receive a significant fine, a custodial sentence, and stripped of all of his legal credentials. This man has grown wealthy despite his incompetence. He needs to be held accountable.

[@annettefox2279]

Sometimes - sometimes - by the time HR find out someone is incompetent, they are too scared to fire the incompetent, for fear of being accused of being racist/sexist etc. However, all that HR have to do is be fair, and able to articulate why they're going to fire the incompetent.

[@franc9111]

He knew exactly what he was doing and it was vicious, this is just a front. At least he's squirming, some of the other hatchet men became hostile when their evil was shoved into their faces.

[@scottharrison812]

Stumbling and stuttering, unable to make eye contact, nervous laugh, wringing his hands … so… must be completely innocent 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣