Post Office scandal victims place hope in inquiry report

Keith Macaldowie gave evidence to the inquiry in 2022

Scottish victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal say they hope the first part of the public inquiry's final report will bring justice a step closer.

Volume one, which will focus on the human impact and compensation, will be published at midday.

More than 70 people in Scotland have had their convictions overturned after they were wrongly accused of crimes like theft because of the faulty Post Office IT system.

But the scandal runs deeper than those prosecuted, with many more people losing livelihoods and relationships as a result of false accusations.

Thousands of people across the UK have been affected by what has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice of recent times.

First findings from inquiry

A statutory public inquiry into the UK-wide scandal was established in 2021 and has heard from hundreds of witnesses from across the country.

Victims, lawyers and journalists will be among those gathering in central London when the chair of the inquiry - Sir Wyn Williams - delivers the first part of his report.

Keith Macaldowie gave evidence to the inquiry when it came to Glasgow in 2022.

He ran a post office in Greenock and was forced to resign in 2011 after an alleged shortfall of £10,000 was uncovered.

He was not convicted but lost his livelihood and told the inquiry he came close to suicide.

He finally reached a financial settlement with the company in March this year.

Speaking ahead of the publication of the findings, he said: "What I hope from the first part of the inquiry report is for the redress scheme to speed up and get everyone paid what they are due.

"I also hope that it helps with the police investigation that is ongoing."

Ravinder Naga wants those responsible for the scandal to go to prison

Ravinder Naga falsely confessed to stealing money from his mother's post office in Greenock in 2009 to protect her from going to prison. Appeal judges overturned his conviction last year.

He told BBC Scotland News he wants accountability.

"The people who died, they don't know their names have been cleared. They died before all this came out," he said.

While the focus of the report will be on the victims and compensation, Mr Naga said he ultimately wants those responsible for the scandal to go to prison.

"I want justice," he added.

Solicitor advocate Stuart Munro is head of specialist litigation at Livingstone Brown and has been representing one of the first Scottish victims to have her conviction quashed.

He said the Post Office Horizon scandal was one of the most far-reaching miscarriages of justice in British history.

"Countless lives were ruined. Its victims will now be looking to Sir Wyn Williams to lay bare the truth of what happened and to recommend measures to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.

"That process begins with the publication of the first part of this final report."