Harrods “failed” its staff by not dealing with Mohamed Al Fayed’s “toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct” the department store’s managing director has said.
Michael Ward, who worked at Harrods for four years under Al Fayed, said he was “not aware” of his “criminality and abuse” – and would have acted had he known.
Ward had been appointed by Al Fayed at the luxury retailer – and has faced calls from alleged victims’ lawyers to open up on what he knew.
Last week, Al Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94, was accused of rape and sexual assault by dozens of women over a period of at least 20 years.
Mohamed Al Fayed was accused of rape and sexual assault by dozens of women over a period of at least 20 years
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In a written statement, Ward said: “As managing director of Harrods, I wanted to convey my personal horror at the revelations that have emerged over the past week.
“We have all seen the survivors bravely speak about the terrible abuse they suffered at the hands of Harrods’ former owner Mohamed Fayed.
“As we have already stated, we failed our colleagues, and for that, we are deeply sorry.
“As someone who has worked at Harrods since 2006, and therefore worked for Fayed until the change of ownership in 2010, I feel it is important to make it clear that I was not aware of his criminality and abuse.
LATEST ON THE AL FAYED ALLEGATIONS:
“While it is true that rumours of his behaviour circulated in the public domain, no charges or allegations were ever put to me,” Michael Ward wrote
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“While it is true that rumours of his behaviour circulated in the public domain, no charges or allegations were ever put to me by the police, the CPS, internal channels or others.
“Had they been, I would of course have acted immediately.
“Fayed, who owned Harrods from 1985 to 2010, operated this business as his own personal fiefdom.
“It is now clear that he presided over a toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation, fear of repercussion and sexual misconduct.
“The picture that is now emerging suggests that he did this wherever he operated.”
Three of Al Fayed’s accusers, pictured after a press conference about the investigation
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Ward added that today’s Harrods was “unrecognisable” compared to the set-up under Al Fayed – and said a settlement process and an independent review had been established.
Ward, who has recounted his “many happy years with Mohamed” in the past, said he would step back from a number of charity roles while the review takes place.
The allegations first came to light in a BBC documentary last week which identified at least 20 alleged victims of the tycoon – five of which said they had been raped.
The Metropolitan Police later revealed that three previously unknown allegations against Al Fayed had been investigated but did not result in charges.