上級の 地位，任命する Office staff defended 欠陥のある Horizon system 'out of an almost 宗教的な panic', 調査 hears
上級の 地位，任命する Office staff have been ひどく criticised by a barrister after defending the 欠陥のある Horizon system 'out of an almost 宗教的な panic', an 調査 has heard.??
Simon Clarke told the Horizon IT 調査 he was 'misled and deceived' throughout the スキャンダル by 地位，任命する Office lawyers Jarnail Singh and Rodric Williams, 特に in the 事例／患者 of 刑務所，拘置所d subpostmistress Seema Misra.
He 述べるd an 指示／教授／教育 to shred 会合 minutes about Horizon bugs 恐らく given by the company's then-長，率いる of 安全 John Scott as a '審議する／熟考する 支援する-covering 演習'.
Mr Clarke worked as a barrister for 法律 会社／堅い Cartwright King at the time he advised the 地位，任命する Office - and said he told the company to 中止する 起訴s after learning that 主要な Horizon engineer Gareth Jenkins had not 公表する／暴露するd knowledge about bugs in the system.
He criticised the culture at the 商売／仕事 during his 証拠 to the 調査 on Thursday, 説 地位，任命する Office staff 'appeared to work in silos, no one department either communicating meaningfully with, or listening to, the other'.
上級の 地位，任命する Office staff have been ひどく criticised by a barrister after defending the 欠陥のある Horizon system 'out of an almost 宗教的な panic', an 調査 has heard
Simon Clarke told the Horizon IT 調査 he was 'misled and deceived' throughout the スキャンダル by 地位，任命する Office lawyers Jarnail Singh (pictured) and Rodric Williams
Rodric Williams,?former litigation lawyer at 地位，任命する Office Ltd, giving 証拠 during his?地位，任命する Office Horizon IT 調査 on April 19, 2024
Mr Clarke said he discussed with managing partner of Cartwright King, Stephen Gelsthorpe, that there was a 'sort of 支援する-covering mentality' at the 地位，任命する Office に引き続いて a 2013 報告（する）／憶測 from 法廷の accountants Second Sight - who identified bugs in the system.
The 証言，証人／目撃する said in a 声明 to the 調査: 'Looking 支援する, I now see what appears to have been three 立ち往生させるs of thought within the 地位，任命する Office on the topic of 公表，暴露.
'The first 立ち往生させる 量d to an article of 約束: 'Horizon is both 強健な and reliable - there is nothing wrong with it and if Horizon says money is 行方不明の, then it is 行方不明の'.
'The second 立ち往生させる considered that the cost of 供給するing 公表，暴露 was prohibitive and should always be discouraged.
'The third 立ち往生させる, I felt, arose out of an almost 宗教的な panic: 'Horizon must not be se en to have been impugned'.'
During an 交流 with chairman Sir Wyn Williams, Mr Clarke told the 調査 it was now his 見解（をとる） that the 起訴 とじ込み／提出する in the 事例／患者 of Mrs Misra was 'deliberately withheld' from him by the 地位，任命する Office.
Mrs Misra, who began running a 支店 in West Byfleet, Surrey, in 2005, was 手渡すd a 15-month 刑務所，拘置所 宣告，判決 while eight weeks 妊娠している in November 2010 after 存在 （刑事）被告 of stealing £74,000.
Sir Wyn asked Mr Clarke: 'And is it your 見解（をとる）, let me ask you the direct question, that the (起訴) とじ込み／提出する whether in electronic or paper form, was deliberately withheld from you?'
Former sub-postmistress Seema Misra, who began running a 支店 in West Byfleet, Surrey, in 2005, was 手渡すd a 15-month 刑務所，拘置所 宣告，判決 while eight weeks 妊娠している in November 2010 after 存在 （刑事）被告 of stealing £74,000
Simon Clarke?said he told the company to 中止する 起訴s after learning that 主要な Horizon engineer Gareth Jenkins (pictured) had not 公表する／暴露するd knowledge about bugs in the system
Mr Clarke replied: 'That is now my 見解（をとる）.'
Sir Wyn continued: 'And is that now your 見解（をとる）... having no 疑問 listen to parts of the 調査 and looked at さまざまな 文書s? Or was that a 見解（をとる） which you formed earlier than that?'
The barrister said: 'I watched Rodric Williams, I watched Jarnail Singh twice, I've watched ツバメ Smith and I watched Harry Bowyer, and as a result of that, 連合させるd with the 文書s that I've seen in this 過程, that crystallises my 見解（をとる） that I was misled and deceived - in particular in 言及／関連 to the sight of the Seema Misra とじ込み／提出する... but also in general.'
The chairman then said: 'You are 主張するing that you were misled deliberately in the Seema Misra 事例／患者?'
Mr Clarke 答える／応じるd: 'That's my belief, yes.'
Sir Wyn continued: 'But you also say that you have a belief that you were misled on a wider basis?'
Mr Clarke said: 'Yes. 地位，任命する Office repeated the protestations that since day dot there was nothing wrong with Horizon when they 明確に knew that there were 問題／発行するs with Horizon.'
演説（する）／住所ing the 指示／教授／教育 恐らく given by Mr Scott to shred minutes of 会合s about Horizon bugs, Mr Clarke said it was not 予定 to 無資格／無能力.
He said: 'This 指示／教授／教育 was not, in my then 見解（をとる）, an 行為／法令／行動する of 無資格／無能力 on the part of John Scott or the 地位，任命する Office - he was a former police officer with experience of the 犯罪の investigative 過程.'
Counsel to the 調査 Julian Blake asked: 'Was John Scott seen as a l one wolf or someone who was working with others in that 尊敬（する）・点?'
Mr Clarke replied: 'The impression I got from within 地位，任命する Office and from within Cartwright King was that he was regarded as 存在 a bit of a 力／強力にする unto himself.'
After その上の 尋問, the barrister 追加するd: 'My understanding was this wasn't a 地位，任命する Office 政策 or 指示／教授／教育, this was John Scott on a frolic of his own.'
Questioned on whether 上級の 地位，任命する Office lawyer Jarnail Singh was 関心d about Mr Scott's 'shredding' advice, Mr Clarke said: 'Yes. I think the proper word is 脅すd.'
演説（する）／住所ing the 申し立てられた／疑わしい shredding in his 証言，証人／目撃する 声明, Mr Clarke said: 'I 解任する that my conversations with (Cartwright King solicitor) would have been 行為／行うd in surprise and shock - we had just been 知らせるd that our （弁護士の）依頼人, or some of their staff, were 潜在的に 事実上の／代理 有罪に by 試みる／企てるing to pervert the course of 司法（官）.
'We considered it 必須の that the 地位，任命する Office すぐに be advised both of the unlawful 行為／行う and the underlying 法律 and 義務s on them to 妨げる such 行為／行う.'
He 追加するd: 'We were at a loss to understand why John Scott would give such an 指示／教授／教育 or why others within the 地位，任命する Office did not wish to minute the 週刊誌 会議／協議会 calls.
'We perceived the shortcomings referred to as 存在 a 完全にする 欠如（する） of judgment and understanding on the part of some, to fully 高く評価する／（相場などが）上がる the importance of 保持するing 構成要素 for 公表，暴露, and in 尊敬（する）・点 of others, a 審議する／熟考する 支援する-covering 演習.
'As to whom we were referring to, the former 部類 含むd Jarnail Singh, and his 犯罪の 法律 team, and some other department 代表者／国会議員s …に出席するing the 週刊誌 calls.
'In the latter 部類 we 含むd John Scott and his 安全 a nd investigative staff, all of whom should, and likely did, know better.'
