100-strong ‘skilled’ team joins ‘unprecedented’ investigation into Post Office Horizon scandal

Operation Olympos – described as an investigation “unprecedented in size and scale” – is looking into what is often regarded as the largest miscarriage of justice in British legal history. It goal is to try to secure justice for the thousands of people affected by the Post Office Horizon scandal.

Operation Olympos has been running since 2020, and in parallel with the Public Inquiry since it began in February 2022. The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have been working with chief constables across the UK to build a national investigation team, which is now in place. The investigation is currently reviewing more than 1.5 million documents, although the true scale is not yet known, the NPCC said.

Four Regional Investigation Teams (RITs) are made up from police forces across England and Wales, with Police Scotland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the National Crime Agency, also making a contribution.

Operation Olympos is currently investigating offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice and is not a reinvestigation of all of the prosecutions of sub postmasters. It is a “focused and proportionate investigation” into potential criminality in the prosecutions of sub-postmasters and the wider presentation of the Horizon IT system as robust, said the NPCC.

Commander Stephen Clayman, Gold lead for Operation Olympos, said: “The sub-postmasters and their families are at the heart of this investigation and our goal is to try and secure justice for those affected by this shocking set of events, the impact of which cannot be underestimated.

“The scale of the task ahead is unprecedented and I am confident we have an excellent team in place, with the support of cutting-edge technology to strengthen our search for information and evidence in amongst the 1.5 million-plus documents obtained and which will grow.

“I do know that if you take into account Post Office criminal and private prosecutions, civil claims and contract withdrawals, there are potentially thousands of victims who we are working hard to identify and build our database so that we can ensure we reach as many affected individuals as possible.

“I cannot make promises that this will be a fast process. An investigation of this size must continue to be undertaken meticulously and methodically and will take time. However, I speak on behalf of our whole team when I say we will approach it with independence, precision and integrity.”

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners chair Emily Spurrell said: “The severe and enduring impact on sub-postmasters has become increasingly clear as events have unfolded, and the stories have emerged of some of those wrongfully prosecuted and convicted. Victims of the Horizon IT scandal exist in every part of the UK – innocent people whose lives have been ruined over a quarter of a century.

“Those who found themselves caught up in this through no fault of their own deserve justice and, as what is likely to be a lengthy police investigation scales up, they are entitled to be fully supported through it. Under the Victims Code of Practice, victims have a right to be referred to free support services for help in coping and recovering after a crime.

“Delivering support for victims is key to what police and crime commissioners (PCCs) do, and I would encourage any of those affected, or their families, to contact their local PCC for help in accessing support services available in their area.”

The team has launched a Major Investigation Public Portal where anyone can submit information and documents and will shortly be publishing a dedicated webpage to provide updates and resources on the investigation as it progresses.

National oversight of the investigation is provided by a Platinum group, led by NPCC chair Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, comprising nationally appointed leads for the investigation, finance, Crown Prosecution Service and victim engagement. Its role is to ensure the national team remains resourced to agreed strengths, along with oversight of the financial management of the investigation and infrastructure.

“The investigation is unprecedented in both scale, complexity and is truly national in  scope – with most areas across England and Wales affected, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland,” said the NPCC. “Given that that the majority of victims are located outside of London, it was determined that this should not be the sole responsibility of the MPS and that a national policing response would be necessary to build the larger team required.”

Phase 1 of this investigation focuses on individuals making key decisions on Post Office investigations of supporting prosecutions and related activity. Phase 2 will look at wider offences.