Alan Bates to give evidence at Post Office inquiry

Summary

1. Alan Bates, the former sub-postmaster who led the campaign to expose the Horizon IT scandal, is due to give evidence at the Post Office inquiry
2. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted due to a faulty computer system called Horizon
3. Some went to prison, others have died in the time it's taken to seek justice. So far, 95 wrongful convictions have been overturned
4. Last month, a draft report uncovered by the BBC showed the Post Office spent £100m fighting sub-postmasters in court despite knowing its defence was untrue
5. Bates's work was the inspiration for the hit ITV drama series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which launched the scandal into national consciousness
6. The former sub-postmaster, who founded the Justice for Sub Postmasters Alliance, has previously hit out at the "madness" of compensation delays for victims
7. He is the first witness to kick off phase five of the inquiry, which focuses on issues of governance, redress and whistleblowing