Following the admission last month by the head of Fujitsu’s European operations that employees were aware of problems with the company’s IT system dating back to 1999, Members of Parliament urged that the Treasury and other public sector entities disclose all contracts given to Fujitsu since 2019.
The highly scrutinized multinational technology company was given deals worth approximately £1.4 billion after a 2019 High Court decision found that its Horizon IT system had multiple flaws and mistakes.
The Commons Treasury Committee reported that contracts valued at over £2 billion were signed prior to 2019 and continued to be in effect during that time.
The committee, which looks into Treasury policy and spending, demanded information about their arrangements with Fujitsu in a letter sent to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and the Bank of England (BoE) last month.
After the CEO of Fujitsu Europe acknowledged that employees were aware of issues with Horizon as early as 1999, members of parliament demanded that contracts be made public.
The committee found that all three made significant financial transactions with companies owned by or affiliated with Fujitsu Global Ltd.
- subsequently the verdict in 2019, HMRC has given Fujitsu eight contracts totaling £1.39 billion; six contracts that were in place prior to the ruling continued to exist after 2019 but have subsequently expired.
