Metropolitan Police contract with Fujitsu is ‘potential battle of curiosity’ amid Submit Workplace probe

Nationwide police investigation into Fujitsu’s position within the Submit Workplace scandal faces battle of curiosity challenges, as a result of IT provider’s contract with the lead investigating police drive.

A freedom of data (FOI) request has revealed that by means of a subcontract within the Metropolitan Police’s take care of DHL Provide Chain, to offer Met cops with uniforms, Fujitsu provides and helps the net ordering platform, often known as Uniform Hub.

The subcontract creates a possible battle of curiosity because the Met Police lead the nationwide Submit Workplace Horizon scandal prison probe, often known as Operation Olympos, which incorporates investigating Fujitsu and former workers.

Operation Olympos was arrange within the aftermath of the printed of the Submit Workplace scandal-based drama, Mr Bates versus the Submit Workplace, and the general public anger that adopted.

A authorized supply advised Laptop Weekly this creates “a minimum of” a possible battle of curiosity.

The Metropolitan Police Service mentioned it has an oblique business association with the corporate Fujitsu, including: “This isn’t affirmation of any company entities underneath prison investigation…”

Based on the FOI request response, by means of the Uniform Hub contract, Fujitsu captures, shops and processes human sources (HR) recordsdata that include data referring to officers.

The information consists of private and employment particulars akin to worker quantity and person ID, identify, e mail handle, gender, final rent date and termination date if related. It additionally consists of data on what Met cops are engaged on, the beginning date of present assignments, rank bands and job roles.

The contract was first signed in December 2015 and is because of finish in March 2027, with a young course of underway for a brand new contract beginning in April 2027. The contract was price £123m.

A authorized supply advised Laptop Weekly: “This case creates a minimum of a possible battle of curiosity for the police drive, and probably an precise battle relying on how the relationships are managed. The authorized points centre on impartiality, bias, misconduct and procurement legislation. The drive should take lively steps to establish, declare and handle the battle to uphold authorized and moral requirements.”

In its FOI response, the Met Police mentioned the Nationwide Uniform Managed Service (NUMS) provider conducts common unbiased audits on sub-contractors, together with finishing up unbiased IT well being checks yearly or in response to a major incident or change to the Uniform Hub. Fujitsu, because the NUMS provider’s IT accomplice, is a Police Assured Safe Facility (PASF) permitted and topic to re-certification each three years, it added.

Individually to Operation Olympos, however in relation to the Submit Workplace scandal, former Fujitsu workers have been underneath investigation since 2020. As Laptop Weekly revealed that yr, the Met Police started assessing proof of potential perjury offences dedicated by Fujitsu workers in prison trials of subpostmasters prosecuted for accounting errors brought on by a pc system.

In November 2021, it opened a prison investigation into Fujitsu workers who gave proof in trials of subpostmasters. These had been tech staff Gareth Jenkins and Anne Chambers.

However Operation Olympus widens investigations into the motion of Fujitsu and its workers. In an replace on Operation Olympos in December 2024, Met Police commander Stephen Clayman, who’s main the investigation, mentioned police will “go the place the proof takes” them, with no particular person or crime out of the scope of the investigation.

In June 2025, Police mentioned they had been investigating 45 folks in relation to potential crimes dedicated within the scandal, with seven formally recognized as suspects.

The sub-contract with the Met Police is an instance of Fujitsu finishing up public sector enterprise underneath the general public radar. In January 2024, quickly after the ITV drama concerning the Submit Workplace Scandal was broadcast, and following the general public backlash, Fujitsu made a gesture to UK authorities to pause bidding on authorities contracts. However there was anger among the many public and politicians because the agency has continued to win profitable enterprise.

In April 2024, Laptop Weekly revealed that Fujitsu instructed its workers the right way to work round its personal guidelines, with going by means of companions seen as a legitimate strategy. The corporate’s then head of public sector, Dave Riley, advised workers that the present Cupboard Workplace place on the time, the place it bid with a accomplice, meant that it was as much as the accomplice to determine if they’re comfy to work with Fujitsu, so not “at present topic to the gateway checks of us bidding”, he mentioned.

The Submit Workplace scandal was first uncovered by Laptop Weekly in 2009, revealing the tales of seven subpostmasters and the issues they suffered as a result of accounting software program (see timeline of Laptop Weekly articles concerning the scandal beneath).