The future of Nick Read, the Post Office chief executive, will be determined this week with the publication of a report triggered by whistleblower reports into the conduct of bosses at the state-owned company.
Sky News has learned that an independent report compiled by Marianne Tutin, a lawyer at Devereux Chambers, was presented to ministers amid the ongoing crisis over the unfair accusation of hundreds of subpostmasters.
One source said they anticipated the inquiry would not precipitate Mr Read’s dismissal or his removal from office by the government.
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Scrutiny of Read’s behavior intensified earlier this year when Henry Staunton, former chairman of the Post Office, told a House of Commons select committee that an 80-page document had been written by the former human resources director of company under its “Speak Up” policy.
Staunton, who was informed of his dismissal in January and was revealed by Sky Newsmade a number of allegations about the contents of the report, including apparent threats by Mr Read to resign over his pay package and allegations of bullying made against him.
The Post Office chief executive responded by saying he rejected any accusations of intimidation and insisted he never threatened to resign over his remuneration.
It was unclear on Monday whether the Tutin-led report would be published in full, with redactions or in summary.
One source said they expected its contents to be “surprising” given the nature of Staunton’s public allegations about Read.
The row fueled by Staunton following his dismissal by Kemi Badenoch, the business secretary, erupted when the government tried to introduce legislation that would overturn the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters, in what was called Britain’s worst miscarriage of justice.
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The slow progress of compensation payments has also angered many victims of the scandal.
Ministers intend to make a quick appointment to replace Mr Staunton, although the Land Registry chairman, Neil Sachdev, is not expected to take on the role, despite having risen to a position list of candidates.
The interim president, if he enjoyed a successful initial term, would be considered a frontrunner to assume the role in the long term.
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Whoever takes over as president of Correios will have a critical role to play in smoothing over leadership challenges at the top of the organization, as well as negotiating with employees over the company’s future financing needs.
The government’s shareholding in Post Office Limited is managed by UK Government Investments (UKGI), which is also responsible for public shareholdings in Channel 4, the Met Office and other state-owned companies.
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Correios depends on government funding to operate and has faced difficulties in recent years amid fiercer competition in the sectors in which it operates.
The Department of Business and Commerce and the Post Office declined to comment on Monday.
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