A key Post Office figure depicted in the ITV drama ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ has taken the stand at the Inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal today. Angela van den Bogerd, who worked closely with ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells, is giving evidence over two days.
Van den Bogerd, who served at the Post Office for 35 years, was in charge of handling complaints about the faulty Horizon system that led to the wrongful convictions of hundreds of former subpostmasters. She began her testimony by apologizing to the victims, saying, ‘Saying sorry I know doesn’t change what has happened, but I do want to say to everyone impacted by wrongful convictions and wrongful contract terminations that I am truly truly sorry for the devastation caused to you, your family, and friends.’
A fortnight ago, van den Bogerd declined to answer questions from an ITV reporter outside her home, stating that she would not comment further until the Inquiry.
In 2020, a judge hearing the case between the Post Office and the wrongly accused subpostmasters criticized van den Bogerd, saying she ‘did not give me frank evidence, and sought to obfuscate matters, and mislead me on critical points.’
The Post Office has faced widespread criticism for its handling of the Horizon scandal, which saw subpostmasters being falsely accused of financial irregularities and jailed. The public inquiry is investigating the scandal and its impact on the lives of those affected.
