22 May 2024 , 08:52
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Paula Vennells is facing fresh scrutiny on exactly what she knew about the Horizon software scandal at the Post Office Inquiry today.
The shamed ex CEO is set to spend three days giving evidence at the Inquiry into the harrowing Post Office scandal that saw more than 900 sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft and fraud. Victims and campaigners are demanding the truth from Vennells, warning her there's 'no way out'.
Aside from her stint as Post Office boss, Vennells also worked as an ordained priest for the Church of England, and had reportedly harboured ambitious plans for her future in the church.
Here, the Mirror looks at how Vennells' religious career was left in tatters after the scandal came to light, with the Archbishop of Canterbury himself declaring that 'more questions should have been asked' about her suitability...
Vennells had pursued a career in the Church of England alongside her corporate duties (Pixel8000)Ordained priest Vennells holds a degree in Russian, French and economics from the University of Bradford and also studied a diploma in theology from Oxford University. She took her holy orders through the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course, before being ordained as a Church of England deacon in 2005. In 2006, Vennells was then ordained once again - this time as a priest.
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Vennells served at three churches in Bedfordshire, but it would appear she had far loftier goals. In January 2024, BBC News reported that Vennells had been shortlisted to become Bishop of London in 2017. Two sources stated that the Archbishop of Canterbury himself had pushed her application and was believed to be a supporter of hers.
The post - regarded as the third most senior in the Church of England - instead went to former chief nursing officer Sarah Mullally, who became the first female Bishop of London in December 2017. When approached, a Church of England spokesperson told the BBC: "We never make any comment on who is a candidate, or not, in what is a confidential discernment process."
Vennells had sat on the Church of England's Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG), but took a leave of absence in 2020, resigning altogether the following April. That same year, the businesswoman also stepped back from her associate minister role in the St Albans diocese amid intensifying scrutiny, as former executives began to feel the heat over the Post Office scandal.
In February of this year, Archbishop Justin Welby stated that 'more questions should have been asked' about Vennells, including her involvement in the EIAG. In what was his first public comment on the matter, as reported by The Guardian, Archbishop Welby stated: "It is clear that more questions should have been asked about the appropriateness of that involvement when more had come to light about the Horizon scandal. We recognise this and will need to reflect on it."
He continued: "The Post Office Horizon IT scandal is a terrible miscarriage of justice that has led to heartbreaking suffering for many subpostmasters. We hope and pray that the inquiry and the government's promise of legislation will move forward the process of proper justice and compensation for the subpostmasters who have been so badly impacted."