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Angela van den Bogaard began giving evidence at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in central London on Thursday, saying she understood an apology “does not change what happened”.
Ms van den Bogaard, who was played by Coronation Street actress Katherine Kelly in ITV drama Mr Bates v Post Office, said she hoped her evidence would help the investigation to get the answers the sub-postmasters “deserve”.
She said: “I know saying I’m sorry doesn’t change what happened.
“But to everyone affected by a wrongful conviction or wrongful termination, I want to say I am truly sorry for the impact it has had on you, your family and friends.
“I hope my testimony will assist this investigation in getting the answers you and so many others so rightfully deserve.”
Throughout his 35-year career with the Post Office, van den Bogaard started as Network Change Operations Manager and went on to hold a variety of roles including Head of Network Services, Head of Partnerships, Director of Support Services and Director of People and Change.
She was appointed director of operational improvement for the Post Office in 2018 but stepped down from that role in 2020.
An error in the Post Office’s Horizon IT system made it appear as if money had disappeared from accounts at a number of branches, but in fact this was not the case.
As a result, the government-owned organization prosecuted more than 700 subpostmasters with criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015.
The scandal remains one of the biggest wrongful convictions in British judicial history. Since then, the Court of Appeal has quashed the convictions of over 100 subpostmasters.
Hundreds of subpostmasters are still waiting for compensation despite the government announcing that those whose convictions have been quashed will be eligible for a £600,000 payment.
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