Harrods bosses to be questioned over ‘collusion’ with Al Fayed, says ex-employee

Harrods bosses should be questioned over “collusion” with alleged misconduct by Mohamed Al Fayed, according to a former employee of the department store.

Five women have alleged they were raped by Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods who died last year at the age of 94. Several others have alleged sexual misconduct.

A legal team representing the alleged victims confirmed on Saturday morning that there have been “more than 150 new investigations” since the broadcast of a BBC documentary about Al Fayed.

The investigation involves a “mix of survivors and individuals with evidence about Al Fayed,” a spokesman for the team confirmed to the PA news agency.

The woman, who said she worked in a ‘very junior role’ at Harrods when she was 21, added: ‘They helped plunge one girl after another into a total nightmare.

“I think some individuals need to be identified and questioned about their involvement.

“It is in fact a form of grooming, as the evidence suggests, and they should be brought to justice.”

Harrods said in a statement that it was “utterly shocked by the allegations of abuse” and that they were “the actions of an individual who intended to abuse his power wherever he operated”.

The former store employee said: “I know Harrods said in their statement that these were the actions of one individual, but I think it also shows the inaction of multiple people and leaders.”

The woman said she was invited to Al Fayed’s office, where he offered her a job, kissed her on the forehead and gave her £300 in cash. He also held her hand and asked if she had a boyfriend.

She recalled the encounter, saying: “He said, ‘No, you don’t have a boyfriend. I am your boyfriend,'” adding that it was “horrible” to be kissed by him.

The former Harrods employee said that after she described the encounter to her male manager, he “brushed it off” and told her: “That’s just the way he is.”

Sources within Harrods have said the company has accepted liability for Al Fayed’s conduct in order to settle claims brought to its attention by alleged victims since 2023. Settlements have been reached with the vast majority of victims.

Mr Drummond said: “It seems to me a huge conflict of interest for Harrods to say, ‘Yes, we did wrong. We were responsible for serious harm to you, but come to us and we will sort out the settlement for you.'”

He added: “This is the worst case of corporate sexual exploitation of young women that I have ever seen, and I think the world has probably ever seen.”

Maria Mulla, another lawyer in the legal team, told Times Radio she had heard stories of women at Harrods being “put in cupboards” while Al Fayed walked around so “they wouldn’t be spotted”.

In a statement on the BBC documentary Al-Fayed: Predator At Harrods, which aired on Thursday, Harrods said it was “a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010”.

The store added that “since new information came to light in 2023 regarding historical allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, our priority has been to resolve the claims as quickly as possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved.”