PO 'hushed up' case of sub-postmaster who killed himself

Widow drip fed’ compensation, inquiry told

- Tara Fair

THE Post Office tried to "hush up" a branch operator's suicide by "drip feeding" compensation to his widow and lining up a media lawyer to shield its reputation, a public inquiry heard.

Yesterday Angela van den Bogerd, a former Post Office business improvement director, was quizzed about Martin Griffiths' case at the Horizon IT public inquiry.

In 2013 Mr Griffiths and his mother both wrote to the state-owned body about the "severe pressure" caused by a £39,000 shortfall at their Post Office branch in Cheshire, which he blamed on software issues, it heard.