The interest of British parliamentarians in the contracts of the Japanese Fujitsu corporation with state bodies sharply grew against the background of the recent scandal with the Horizon software.
The Committee on the Treasury Affairs of the British Parliament is inquiring if the contracts were carried out through tenders or concluded directly. The parliamentarians want to find out more information about these contracts.
Reports have surfaced in the media regarding Fujitsu’s contracts with central and regional authorities. It has been noted that several of these contracts were extended without competition. One recent example is the extension of a £2 million contract for servicing the warning system for floods.
The parliamentarians are particularly interested in these contracts because of the scandal surrounding the Horizon system developed by Fujitsu for the UK postal service. The flawed system led to the wrongful conviction of over 900 department managers for fraud, and tragically, 60 people committed suicide. This issue has persisted for many years, but it gained significant attention following the release of a television movie on the ITV channel at the beginning of 2023. As a result, Fujitsu announced its withdrawal from participating in tenders in Great Britain.
In a letter, the Committee has requested information regarding all contracts with Fujitsu, including their cost and validity. The parliamentarians are keen to know whether the issues with the Horizon system were taken into consideration when these contracts were negotiated, and whether there were any plans to ban Fujitsu from participating in tenders. Responses to these inquiries must be provided before February 1, 2024. Of particular concern are Fujitsu’s contracts with the HMRC tax service, which were also concluded without tenders.