Post Office scandal inquiry to be bolstered

The government is to bolster the independent inquiry into the Post Office's computer scandal, giving it power to compel witnesses to testify.

Some 47 former sub-postmasters have had their names cleared as their convictions for stealing money were based on faulty IT evidence.

A judge-led inquiry had been set up by the government, but it was dismissed as toothless by campaigners and some MPs.

Ministers will announce that it will be put on a statutory footing.

The move, first reported by Sky News, is to come just days after the government came under fire for saying that the current inquiry's powers were sufficient.

It will mean the inquiry can compel witnesses to give evidence and demand that relevant documents are handed over.

Why were hundreds of sub-postmasters prosecuted?
Cleared postmaster hid conviction from his family pgslot
An inquiry set up last September "to establish a clear account of the failings of the Horizon IT computer system, and assess whether lessons have been learnt at the Post Office" was set to report in the summer. It is being led by retired High Court judge Sir Wyn Williams.

The Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance (JFSA) campaign group, which was instrumental in helping former Post Office managers to win compensation, had refused to take part, describing it as a whitewash and calling for a full public inquiry instead.

The call was supported by MPs across the political spectrum, but the government had resisted such a move, saying that this would slow the process.

Ministers are now planning to strengthen the powers of the inquiry. As a result, anyone who refuses to give evidence to the inquiry could be fined or imprisoned.