IRISH New columnist and popular comedian, Jake O’Kane has said the injustice of the Post Office scandal has brought back painful memories of how his own father, an elected Belfast City councillor, who had his reputation and livelihood wrongly taken from him after being interned.
With an ITV drama bringing into sharp focus the reality of how many sub postmasters were vilified by the Post Office, Mr O’Kane writes that he was surprised that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling it “one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our nation’s history,” and his pledge to exonerate those affected.
His father, Jim O’Kane, was arrested 51 years ago along with 342 other men and interned without charge, trial or conviction.
Serving nearly two years of incarceration without any trial, he said his father had effectively been “a victim of state kidnapping”.
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“His case perfectly fits Sunak’s description as he had served his community for many years as a councillor,” he said.
“His life and reputation were destroyed as the thriving business he left was virtually bankrupt when he returned. His reputation was most certainly marked by his imprisonment, proved by the numerous subsequent attempts on his life.”
Following the passing of the government’s legacy legislation, Mr O’Kane said he has little confidence his father will ever be exonerated or have his good name returned.
