House Workplace Fujitsu contract is ‘de facto’ battle of curiosity in Put up Workplace police probe

A nationwide police investigation into the Put up Workplace scandal faces battle of curiosity questions over Fujitsu’s function in working the community utilized by separate police forces to share info.

Peer James Arbuthnot described the contract as very regarding and questioned whether or not the federal government is “over a barrel to Fujitsu”.

The federal government prolonged Fujitsu’s Regulation Enforcement Neighborhood Community (LECN) contract in November by a £15m deal, regardless of the provider being investigated in a Put up Workplace scandal probe.

There’s a potential battle of curiosity in having the community underpinning a serious operational police exercise run by an organization whose former staff and actions are being investigated.

The actions of the Japanese provider’s UK operation are being investigated as a part of the nationwide Operation Olympus police investigation into the Put up Workplace scandal. The investigation, which entails collaboration between police forces throughout the nation, was established after the printed of the Put up Workplace scandal-based drama, Mr Bates versus the Put up Workplace, and the general public anger that adopted.

In June, Police stated that as a part of Operation Olympos, they have been investigating 45 individuals in relation to potential crimes dedicated within the scandal, with seven formally recognized as suspects. Numbers are anticipated to extend considerably.

The LECN platform makes use of networking gear and encryption expertise to supply safe connectivity between forces.

In accordance with Tussell, LECN is made up of 16 contracts with a mixed worth of about £29m, with the most important contract awarded to Fujitsu to provide software-defined broad space community (SD-WAN) continuity.

The community acts because the spine for cross-force collaboration, permitting the Metropolitan Police and different forces to coordinate investigations equivalent to Operation Olympos. It permits real-time sharing of intelligence, case information and operational information throughout the nation, with orchestration, monitoring and entry. It’s managed by police-vetted Fujitsu employees.

Forensic felony psychologist Ian Ross, a former police officer and listed knowledgeable for the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) in The Hague, stated: “There’s a de facto battle of curiosity right here. Given the Metropolitan police-led Operation Olympus is at present investigating Fujitsu itself, their staff concerned within the scandal regarding nothing lower than alleged perjury in each the Excessive Courtroom and Crown Courtroom, how can they justify this doubtful enterprise relationship?”

Arbuthnot stated Fujitsu’s function on the LECN is “very regarding”.

“The federal government must keep away from each an precise battle of curiosity and the looks of 1. In utilizing Fujitsu to function a community in regulation enforcement, when Fujitsu themselves are being investigated by Operation Olympus, is each an obvious and an precise battle,” he informed Laptop Weekly. “I’m troubled that the federal government appears to not be placing any effort into discovering another person to do that work.”

Fujitsu’s LECN contract extension was agreed months after the announcement of Operation Olympos in Might 2024.

In January, Peer Kevan Jones requested the federal government what contracts the House Workplace had awarded to Fujitsu since July 2024. The federal government stated the House Workplace had awarded two contracts with Fujitsu in the course of the interval, together with the LECN contract. The federal government stated the contract was renewed as a result of it was “thought-about important for regulation enforcement functions to take action”.

Laptop Weekly requested the House Workplace what particular conflict-of-interest evaluation was carried out when awarding the LECN contract to Fujitsu, given the provider was already a possible felony suspect beneath Operation Olympos? The House Workplace had not responded when this text was printed.

The House Workplace was additionally requested what steps it’s taking to mitigate the potential battle of curiosity dangers within the contract in relation to Operation Olympos. The federal government division didn’t reply.

Final week, Laptop Weekly revealed a possible battle of curiosity in a separate, Met Police, sub-contract with Fujitsu to supply the IT underpinning the uniform ordering system for Met Cops, often called Uniform Hub. In accordance with a Freedom of Data request response, by the Uniform Hub contract, Fujitsu captures, shops and processes human assets (HR) information that comprise info referring to officers.

The information contains private and employment particulars equivalent to worker quantity and consumer ID, identify, e mail deal with, gender, final rent date and termination date, if related. It additionally contains info on what Met cops are engaged on, the beginning date of present assignments, rank bands and job roles.

A authorized supply informed Laptop Weekly this creates “no less than” a possible battle of curiosity.

The LECN deal is additional proof of a heavy public sector reliance on Fujitsu in crucial areas, which embrace HMRC work in addition to policing.

The Police Nationwide Laptop (PNC) additionally runs on a Fujitsu mainframe. That is the central database utilized by UK police and regulation enforcement companies to retailer and entry info. It’s used to hold out real-time checks, together with on felony data, lacking individuals and car registrations. 

It’s accessed by all UK police forces and different authorised companies, and is a part of the UK’s crucial nationwide infrastructure, offering 24/7 availability. 

Fujitsu has offered the mainframe expertise and help for a few years. The PNC is being changed by the Regulation Enforcement Information Service (LEDS), however delays meant Fujitsu was chosen to supply help for the present {hardware} till the brand new system is rolled out. 

Peer Arbuthnot requested whether or not the nation is “over a barrel to Fujitsu”.

“In that case, it isn’t acceptable,” he stated. “We merely should make it attainable to cease utilizing an organization which colluded within the prosecution, on the idea of Fujitsu’s false proof, of far too many subpostmasters. To whom, by the way in which, they’ve paid not a penny in compensation.”

Individually from Operation Olympus, however in relation to the Put up Workplace scandal, former Fujitsu employees have been beneath investigation since 2020. As Laptop Weekly revealed that yr, the Met Police started assessing proof of potential perjury offences dedicated by Fujitsu employees in felony trials of subpostmasters prosecuted for accounting errors brought on by a pc system.

In November 2021, it opened a felony investigation into Fujitsu employees who gave proof in trials of subpostmasters.

Operation Olympus widens the investigation into the actions of Fujitsu and its employees.

The Put up 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 under).