Seema Misra, a former manager of a Post Office branch in Surrey, England, has refused to accept an apology from Gareth Jenkins, an engineer whose faulty evidence contributed to her wrongful conviction. Misra, of Indian origin, was wrongly accused of stealing GBP 75,000 due to errors in the Horizon IT accounting system used by Post Office Ltd.

After serving four-and-a-half months in prison, including while pregnant and wearing an electronic tag, Misra had her conviction overturned in April 2021. She described Jenkins’ apology, submitted to a public inquiry into the scandal, as “too little, too late,” emphasizing the distress caused to her and her family.

Former Post Office Managing Director David Smith also apologized for sending a congratulatory email upon Misra’s conviction, acknowledging its insensitivity. Despite these apologies, Misra remains unsatisfied, questioning their timing and sincerity.

The Horizon system, developed by Fujitsu, has been under scrutiny for systemic errors that led to false accusations against numerous sub-postmasters, many of Indian heritage. The UK government has compensated victims and introduced legislation to overturn wrongful convictions related to Horizon evidence.

The ongoing public inquiry, set to conclude in July, continues to shed light on one of the UK’s most significant miscarriages of justice involving its postal service.