I believe the word for paying witnesses for appearing at a commission is called bribery.

Ministers weren't asleep at the wheel, they were in on the grift

Why did they sign off bonuses? Because they are all in it together.

A bonus? For attending a public enquiry? Why? What were they for? This is baffling. The sub post masters should be the ones getting bonuses for their services to the community....... Words fail me.

It’s just blatant greed and corruption. Once again they are only sorry that they were caught. The systems are utterly broken.

Disgraceful and despicable that ministers were all cooking the books at the expense of the sub postmasters. 🇬🇧

How can you pay bonuses to people who can't do their jobs and keep the postmasters' waiting for their compensation

They throw money around like its confetti in the NHS too. But if your working class you get laughed at for wanting a 2% annual raise. ... 2% of next nothing I might add.

All executives get paid too much , why is this allowed, when they do absolutely next to nothing

Given the quality of the evidence from some witnesses bonuses were certainly not merited….one woman answered everything with “I can’t remember” and “ I didn’t write this statement that has my signature on”…. Unbelievable….

How much worse can this get? They're just having a laugh . . .

Is there no end to this National Scandal? Keep an eye on the inquiry, it`s shocking when you see the type of people those poor postmasters had to deal with. Shocking stuff, but when the inquiry has been scrutinised by the legal eagles and the police it should then be brought to The High Court of Criminal Justice. It needs to go through the proper system instead of the kangaroo courts that have been responsible for not seeing through this crime of epic scale from the moment it landed on it`s kangaroo desk.

The uk business model is built on who your parents are, whi you know through which schools and universities you went to. Not on actual knowledge and ability in the real world.

I’m done with this government

These bonuses are disgusting.... Its bribery... By the government to the guilty party.....??? What is that about? It's criminal act.

The incompetence of all those responsible at the Post Office and in the Government is simply depressing.

Kwasi keeps popping up in scandals

Just when you think it just cannot possibly get any worse - it does. It utterly beggers-belief.

They got paid public money for going to hearing into their mismanagement?

It is insane this government would still signed off this executives bonuses while the country's healthcare system, mental health, housing, train services and living standard all crumbles ??

Excellent piece of journalism. Reports like these are the reason why Nadine Dorries tried to force the privatisation of Channel 4. Fortunately, she is far too dull to achieve anything.

The Tories are beyond contempt.

This smacks of the Tory’s saying turn up we will pay you and make it all go away. I will now go in to Rainhill and give her my support

During the select committee hearing they tried to put across the idea that the bonuses were paid, for helping with the inquiry, were by mistake!

Shameful disgraceful disgusting bonuses being given during corruption and scandal.

Could it be that this was all signed off before the additional glare of publicity caused by the ITV drama? And the money would still be trousered now if it were not for that?

When I was involved in engineering manufacture and then the construction industry, workers could earn bonuses for extra performance such as getting the job done quicker and saving the employer money and meeting shorter deadlines. No worker in my time got paid a bonus for just doing their standard job, only for working harder and putting in increased effort.

And the subpostmasters money is still missing in the post office coffers. This just hets worse and worse!

More reasons the UK needs democratically elected supervisory boards who can remove executives who are not doing the job they're supposed to do

Government find money for bonuses but no one questions where it's come from, whereas they scrutinise Labour's plans

In the meantime Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (DPDI) working it's way through Parliament with loopholes to allow snooping into pensioners' bank accounts.

Reward without responsibility same as when we payed (austerity) for the banking crisis of 2008.

Absolutely disgusting

Excellent report!

Get these bonuses back! WTF 🤬

EXCELLENT REPORTING!

It’s all the tories know how to do. Give CEOs bonuses. Even negligent CEOs. It’s how they’re taught.

Govts decide policys but have great difficulty in admitting mistakes. Eg - HS2, Smart Motorways, Brexit & various nhs/police/MoD scandals illustrate this trait. Thatcher threw herself on the pyre of the Poll Tax. "Politicians would rather destroy themselves than change" - WH Auden.

Nobody in government or in charge at the PO will face any accountability whatsoever.

Saying "this is the honest answer" implies all previous answers were a lie. Although I do believe him when he says "I don't know".

We lied, we ruined peoples lives, we jailed innocent people, we hid the truth, we've ruined the post office's image and are causing the tax payer a ton of money to pay these people back after we kept the money for ourselves.... I think we deserve a raise!

Because the corrupt help the corrupt?

I’m so sick of the state of this country. Every time I see my pay slip and the hundreds of pounds I’m paying in taxes and for what? For those who are corrupt to make a pretty penny? This government is at utter disgrace.

As usual, “It is not what you know…but who”. The Government must be held accountable for this entire evil scandal.

Always money for bonuses….never money for workers…

This is just another example of lazy, greedy senior civil servants signing off payments to other lazy, greedy senior civil servants.

Someone should compile a video of all the times the government chooses not to respond. It's a lot!

Sleeze and corruption this seems the norm for govenment and bosses🤬

Why get paid for doing your job in shameful circumstances. This is screwing the public and shows a contempt. for the public purse and public money. Whoever put this forward is a disgrace. Rewards for failure at all times.

The treasury was rewarding criminal negligence by PO management. Government ministers were criminally negligent for dismissing subpostmasters apeals for scrutiny into their treatment by the PO and failings in Horizon.

The entire Post Office board at the time of the Horizon fiasco should find themselves in the dock in front of a judge charged with perjury, ,obtaining money by deception etc for which they should be heavily fined and jailed if found guilty.

Because it's one big club! As George Calin said, and guess what? We're not in it, but, they are.

Imagine fucking up your job and getting a bonus

Badenoch can hardly keep the smirk of contempt from her face as she lies through her teeth.

We need to see Post Office executives doing jail time for this and heavy compensation for their victims and the families of lost victims.

They were all incompetent and riding the gravy train! Justice is coming!

Payback is insufficient

For a secound I thought I was watching the most messed up episode of Yes Minister ever during this

Where is the compensation money due from Fujitsu. Are they waiting until the inquiry is completed. What happens if Fujitsu UK goes into liquidation would there be any money available for the SPMs compensation. Why is our Govt not ensuring that Fujitsu make available funds now thus ensuring Fujitsu can't dodge their financial responsibilities.

Neo Liberalism has taken UK to this sorry pass. 😢

Quite simple - them & us.

These people are totally scandalous and dishonest. Everyone involved should be in prison. Kwarteng must have his finances. Investigated as he must have made money from his own negligence. Badenock is only a step away from being found out as the biggest liar ever. She constantly has to deny wrongdoing ,smoke and fire comes to mind.

We had a local Post Office where Martin ran this because he was a middle aged Scientist that became Redundant when the Research Institute lost its government support. Type 2 Diabetic and without warning he had gone, no warning. That Post Office is now a Hairdresser and we were saved, much later, by having a satellite office set up 2 mornings a week within the village shop. This scandal EXPLAINS why Martin left without any warning, the Post Office came with a Flat above so he LOST his home and job. It is NOT just financial destruction it is their community standing, friends and lastly we the community lost out. We are lucky that we have 2 mornings a week but ONLY the recovery of ALL Bonuses paid to Executives and Senior Management from the Day of launch of Horizon until now should be acceptable. PAY COMPENSATION FOR DESTROYING LIVES.

Right to jail

Lies. Lies. If you can lie - you can get a job on the PO Board.

They are all rotten to the core.

6:35 Liam " haha I'm afraid there is no money left" Byrne. some of us have not forgotten this holier than thou (now) Politician's behaviour.

Can these bonus's be reclaimed because of this sick farce ?

UK corruption is crazy rn

Close down, and none of them should be reemployed in the same industry

The government do nothing and will not bother about things like this. If they could be bothered to do anything they would not have (SAT ON THEIR HANDS FOR YEARS)

It’s Obvious this Country has gone to 💩

Shocking!

ah sure just another day in tory party politics!

These people responsible for this are the worst criminals imaginable and should be in jail for life.

Why all these bonuses? Are they not paid enough for their safe jobs?

We are now living in a Banana Republic, without any bananas or nice weather.

Did not one person not stand up and say 'this isn't morally right'? It pretty much shows the level of morality that individuals at this level of management have, and how they view those below them. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ebeqpaVk0NvVk58.html

This should be replayed again and again such slimy cowards they should repay every penny plus interest

Who was the sec of state when the bonuses were cooked up? Was it Kemi?

NOW THIS IS GOOD JOURNALISM

It's pissin' up peoples backs & telling them dont worry it's only rain .....

We don't have a functioning government in the UK

There is yet to be a named person in either the PO, Fujitsu or government who is under investigation. Why isn't this also treated as scandalous?

Prosecution for profit. Post Office made money off Sub-postmasters and the execs got a big healthy share of the proceeds.

Why not make a TV drama about this very topic like "Mr Bates and the Post Office" call it "I don't believe it ". How do these parasites sleep at night ???

They all.need to have them revoked

Sickening example again if how it is in the system

Why are they getting a bonus anyway Don't they get wages. I never got a bonus when I went to work.

And tried to get a tax rebate on the compensation.

Accountants when something goes wrong or senior management, do something wrong, they just resign. it systemic throughout the whole of the industry it’s been happening for years. They build it within their contract, so they say. And that’s how they get round it. It’s including government departments as well as civil. They just resign and take a large sum of money plus their bonuses, plus they are paid up to the end of the annual year. A lot of retainer bonuses. Which in my eyes, unfortunately the public has to pay for or the companies have to pay for and it’s very wrong. It’s happening for years like this. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last this is how it goes on within the pen. Pusher society is harsh, but that’s the reality of what we live in and have been living in for decades.

Pigs at the trough.

this is what i have been wondering,did this scandal go beyond those sociopaths in the post office?

3:55 it sounds like he's saying they should be paid the bonuses after the enquiry rather than not being paid

Civil Service employees TOTALLY BORED STIFF … & Just signing OFF , the next sheet of paper placed in front of them !,,…

It's why business must be kept away from government.

If the Govt were to withold bonus payments to senior managers then questions would be asked, which would then stir up more trouble.. Instead they carry on as normal giving huge bonus payments to managers who have lied in court and put innocent people in jail, now the truth is out there, revealing the crooked methods used by post office and government along with Fujitsu who said nothing.. If this isn't investigated thoroughly where every perpetrator is Rooted out to reveal each and every lawyer, senior manager, govt official and other involved then the British justice system can NEVER be trusted again..

how is the external scrutiny going?

We now have government ministers and their civil servants who are also compliant. Prison for all of them and removal of pensions under their work terms and conditions, signed by them when they were employed.....If you commit a crime when in employment as a civil servant you will be dismissed and pension rights forfeited.

Brilliant reporting.