Mohamed Al Fayed ‘manipulated’ Harrods managers to hide alleged sexual abuse

A former Harrods director has described how Mohamed Al Fayed would manipulate managers to conceal his alleged sexual abuse of dozens of women and girls.

Jon Brilliant, who worked in Mr Al Fayed’s private office for 18 months, told BBC News the former Harrods boss would sack those he could not control.

Managers were let go or quit so often that a national newspaper began to publish a regular count, which reached 48 in 2005.

Mr Brilliant, who was 36 when he joined the firm in 2000, said the businessman would offer him cash to try to compromise him.

He told BBC News: “He was trying to get you to come back and say ‘oh, I spent money on drugs or I spent money frolicking, doing something that I shouldn’t have been doing’, and that he would then use that information against you if you should ever turn on him.”

Mr Al Fayed is accused of sexual offences against dozens of women but was never charged while he was alive.

He died last year aged 94.

On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said it had launched an investigation into more than five people who may have “facilitated” his alleged crimes.

An internal review is also being carried out into how the force handled claims about Mr Al Fayed while he was alive.

Since the latest publicity around the case, 90 alleged victims have contacted the Metropolitan Police to say they fell prey to the tycoon, in addition to 21 alleged victims who had already contacted the force.

The youngest of the 90 is thought to have been 13 years old at the time she was reportedly abused, and the alleged crimes include rape and sexual assault.

Four other former directors have anonymously confirmed elements of Mr Brilliant’s claims, BBC News reported.

“He tried to own you. And ultimately, I got fired because I couldn’t be bought,” he said.

Mr Brilliant said he was “horrified” when he first heard the allegations that Mr Al Fayed had abused hundreds of women.

Mr Al Fayed acquired Harrods for £615m in 1985 and sold it to the Qatari royal family for a reported £1.5bn in 2010.

Press Association