Stormont Justice Minister Long calls on victims of Post Office IT software Capture to come forward

Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has urged potential victims of Post Office accounting software Capture - which predated the Horizon system - to come forward.

Capture was introduced to Post Office branches in 1997 and like the Horizon system, subpostmasters who used it saw shortfalls in takings.

The Post Office-Horizon scandal saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted leading to a public enquiry, ITV drama and millions paid in compensation. That process does not apply to Capture victims.

Solicitor Michael Madden represents four people from Northern Ireland who may have been "captured" by the Capture system.

He said: "That work is really only starting now and, believe it or not, despite all the media attention this year and even before this year we are still having people contact us even this week.

"The difference for people who would have convictions relating to Capture would be that, at the moment, the new legislation does not cover those convictions.

"Anybody that has been convicted in relation to faulty Capture evidence would then have to go through a long procedure.

"They would have to go through the Criminal Case's Review Commission and then through the Court of Appeal."

The UK Government has acknowledged that Capture may have caused problems and offered compensation to victims.

Justice Minister Naomi Long urged those who felt they may be affected to contact her officials.

"It is not yet known how many criminal prosecutions there were based on evidence relating to Capture. That still needs to be bottomed out," she said.

"I have to say that there will still be people who may not have heard from us or who we have not heard from who may feel that they have been affected.

"At this stage, I would encourage people to come forward and make themselves known to the department."

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