Paula Vennells

I had a little nap earlier...she just waffles and she can't keep track of her truth/lies so plays with her glasses ...

I don't have the patience to listen to her but Mr. S. is, and keeping me informed. Her 'answers' do beg the question what she was actually being paid so much money for.

Anyone else having trouble understanding her long winded explanations and excuses? Am losing the will to live listening to her.Obfuscation and distraction rule the day.

I agree that there seems a sense in which she sees herself as a victim. Please can someone remind me who appointed her as CE, or promoted rather? And was it allowable that she had other jobs at the same time? No wonder it was so easy to keep things from her.

GrannySomerset

Yes, Dickens, perhaps her personal assistant should be in the witness box too. When I did that sort of job I was very well informed about everything going on - minuting meetings, filing an enormous amount of paper, listening to gossip around me. Would certainly know what was happening.

When I did that sort of job I was very well informed about everything going on...

Quite. You have to be, otherwise you can't really do the job.

There's also the phone calls - I was asked and entrusted to talk to 'certain people' and you begin to realise these individuals' connections with the company, what they do, etc. So a picture begins to build up and, even as an "assistant" for a short period of time, I learned a lot about the company.

An awful lot appears to have 'passed by' Vennell's attention and we are being led to believe that the right hand didn't know what the left one was doing.

GrannySomerset

Yes, Dickens, perhaps her personal assistant should be in the witness box too. When I did that sort of job I was very well informed about everything going on - minuting meetings, filing an enormous amount of paper, listening to gossip around me. Would certainly know what was happening.

I did wonder why the EPA was not keeping Ms Vennalls up to speed on what was happening.
If all the information was available to Ms Vennalls, it would have gone through her EPA who must have connected all the dots and realised something was seriously wrong.

Yes, Dickens, perhaps her personal assistant should be in the witness box too. When I did that sort of job I was very well informed about everything going on - minuting meetings, filing an enormous amount of paper, listening to gossip around me. Would certainly know what was happening.

Birthto110

A lot of people are not as solid, respectable, talented or honest as they look /sound. They get promoted for the strangest reasons, usually as they're very confident in themselves or they're in the same network. Gift of the gab etc So many senior directors really can't seem to spot the difference between people with real talent/ integrity /a curious & open mind - and others who are merely imposters. Way too many imposters in high positions.
She should have had the curiosity to look more closely at the whole thing years ago and been alert to injustices. All so very sad - and worrying that this kind of thing happens everywhere - clergy, military, medicine, education, law, you name it. The wrong people often get promoted first.

Spot on. And they have their networks.

mae13

Another threadbare litany of not remembering. And the best bit was when she claimed she did not know that the PO was instigating it's own prosecutions. So, up to yesterday she must have thought the pixies were doing it?
This person was in charge - the buck stops with her. But I'd bet the Crown Jewels she'll never face a prosecution herself. Unfortunately.
Some minion further down the food chain will doubtless get all the blame.
It sucks!

And the best bit was when she claimed she did not know that the PO was instigating it's own prosecutions.

I do not understand how she could be unaware of this. She was the Chief Executive - is it feasible that she would be completely in the dark on such a matter?

Having once, briefly and temporarily, worked for a CE of a company, it became fairly obvious from the limited work I was given, that he not only knew everything about what was going on in that company, but in other organisations and companies connected to the business, too. It was only a small company but it had a legal department consisting of a lawyer for whom we 'minions' all worked from time to time. To a degree, we all knew what was going on within the company! I just find it so hard to believe that she did not know. Why would it have been kept a secret from her considering her position and her involvement with the matter?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO5V9k6fqtU

I am going to watch that woman being picked apart bit by bit

What is also shocking is the number of (highly paid/profile) other jobs she held at the same time. No wonder she “can’t remember “ what happened.
And as ordained clergy, she doesn’t need to be perfect, but should at least have some sense of fairness and empathy towards the great number of postmasters/mistresses having difficulties. The diocese of London had a lucky escape!

Another threadbare litany of not remembering. And the best bit was when she claimed she did not know that the PO was instigating it's own prosecutions. So, up to yesterday she must have thought the pixies were doing it?
This person was in charge - the buck stops with her. But I'd bet the Crown Jewels she'll never face a prosecution herself. Unfortunately.
Some minion further down the food chain will doubtless get all the blame.
It sucks!

Your post at 22:44:51 Callistemon21.

... well said.

A lot of people are not as solid, respectable, talented or honest as they look /sound. They get promoted for the strangest reasons, usually as they're very confident in themselves or they're in the same network. Gift of the gab etc So many senior directors really can't seem to spot the difference between people with real talent/ integrity /a curious & open mind - and others who are merely imposters. Way too many imposters in high positions.
She should have had the curiosity to look more closely at the whole thing years ago and been alert to injustices. All so very sad - and worrying that this kind of thing happens everywhere - clergy, military, medicine, education, law, you name it. The wrong people often get promoted first.

Grammaretto

I promise to listen/watch. I'm sure she is awful but the men were just as awful.

But they weren't giving evidence today.

There have been other threads if you do a search.

Grammaretto

I haven't seen any of the hearing but reading the opinions on here you have made it sound like a witch hunt. Is it because she's a woman?

Is it what I think of as the Myra Hindley syndrome? The woman is hated more than the men?.
There must have been some very bad men in this awful saga.

Have you followed the case at all, Grammaretto?
This woman was in overall charge. The buck stops with her.

She is not the only woman who has been giving evidence to the enquiry and not the only one who seems to have a poor memory, amazing in people who held such responsible, high positions.
Some of the men giving evidence had equally poor memories.

It was the Post Office itself, and all these executives and managers which were the ones conducting a witch hunt against all those sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses for years.

Grammaretto

I haven't seen any of the hearing but reading the opinions on here you have made it sound like a witch hunt. Is it because she's a woman?

Is it what I think of as the Myra Hindley syndrome? The woman is hated more than the men?.
There must have been some very bad men in this awful saga.

I cannot imagine the reactions would be any less scathing if it was a man and not a woman.

Many of us on here don't like women ganging up on other women - especially when it's their appearance that is called into question.

I really don't believe we are 'witch-hunting' her at all.

She appears to be subtly blaming others without saying as much because she "doesn't quite remember exactly" or wasn't fed the information, basically giving the impression that she was out of the loop, so to speak.

Honestly, when you are the head-honcho the buck really does stop with you. That's why generally such individuals are paid such handsome salaries, because you really have to work for it and know what's going on in your organisation.

And she admitted she lied about the prosecutions.

Have you never read some of the comments about male high profile figures who've disgraced themselves - on here?

No one is saying othetwise. She was CEO

I promise to listen/watch. I'm sure she is awful but the men were just as awful.

Curiously, she could remember issues that might help her whilst throwing others under a bus. She couldn’t recall issues that showed her in a poor light

She was the chief honcho at the time, so she carries the can. Blame has already been laid at quite a number of people's (men's) doors.

Her memory today was exceedingly bad, she couldn't seem to remember anything.

Mr Banks just told ch4 news he met with senior officers from the Met today. He implied police are looking at any criminality by the people responsible for the prosecution of post office managers

Grammaretto - definitely not a case of consistent criticism of PV because she’s a woman. In my case and I believe all the other posters here- it’s because she comes over as a cold, self seeking, manipulative individual who has lied and continues to do so

It may be advisable to watch/listen to her cross examination, before you suggest the female posters here are ganging up on PV because she’s a woman.

I haven't seen any of the hearing but reading the opinions on here you have made it sound like a witch hunt. Is it because she's a woman?

Is it what I think of as the Myra Hindley syndrome? The woman is hated more than the men?.
There must have been some very bad men in this awful saga.

MayBee70

I’m rather fascinated by her choice of clothing and wonder if she (subconsciously?) regards herself as some kind of victim?

I’ve just read that scarlet is the colour of innocent martyrs. Or am I reading too much into this?