Post Office victim angry at slow justice
Former Swansea sub-postmaster Mark Kelly says scandal ruined his life
A man from Swansea, who says the Post Office scandal ruined his life, says the UK Government should have acted sooner in exonerating postmasters convicted due to the faulty Horizon system.
Mark Kelly tried to raise issues around the Horizon software in his Swansea branch in 2006, but says he was ignored.
"They said they had discovered a fault in my branch and closed it down, and then they threatened me with false accounting and theft.
"They said if I publicised this issue, they would charge me with the Official Secrets Act and get my wife deported".
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the government will bring in a new law to "swiftly exonerate and compensate victims" of the Post Office Scandal.
Under the new plans, victims will sign a form saying they are innocent to have their convictions overturned, and claim compensation.
But Mark Kelly says this decision should have been made sooner.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. There is enough evidence in the public domain now to show the convictions need to be overturned."
He says he thinks this quicker process to overturn convictions, compared to the appeals process through the justice system, is a good idea.
"Many survivors that are left just can't cope with another court ordeal to get their convictions overturned due to how they were treated by the Post Office".
The government also says it will give out £75,000 in compensation to 555 former postmasters who brought a group lawsuit against the Post Office.
Mark says this compensation is pennies compared to what some postmasters lost due to the Horizon fault.
"Even though it sounds like quite a lot of money, when you take into account I, and others, have lost houses, relationships, our health, and financial freedom, this does not go anywhere near enough to allow us to start rebuilding our lives.
"This is quite a unique case, and needs a unique solution".