Al Fayed, the former owner of London's elite department store Harrods, started out as a cold drink vendor. Then worked as a sewing machine salesman. He deals in housing and shipbuilding in the Middle East and Europe. This is how the Egyptian billionaire Fayed built his fortune.
The billionaire has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting more than 111 women in four decades. Among them, the youngest victim was only 13 years old.
The woman from London's Mayfair area who accused Fayed of rape said that she was a teenager at the time of the incident. Fayed was like a demon. He had no morals. All Harrods staff were like 'toys' to him.
The incidents of sexual harassment and rape of Fayed took place in London, UK, Paris and Saint Tropez, France, and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Lawyer Bruce Drummond acted on behalf of some of the victims.
He said the web of corruption and oppression woven within Harrods was incredible and very dark.
A woman victim describes the dark world of Harrods. She said Fayed raped her in a house in Park Lane, London. He had no consent to it. Fayed also told that. But nothing worked.
The number of criminal charges against him has made him one of the most notorious sex offenders in the United States.
Scotland Yard, the headquarter of the London Metropolitan Police, has said that five suspects are being investigated as accomplices in the crimes of Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, the elite department store in London. None of them have been named.
Last month, The Guardian reported that some corrupt policemen helped Fayed rape and harass his female staff. Among the victims was a young woman who stood up against the Harrods owner's sexual harassment.
Between 2005 and 2023, 21 of the 111 women who filed complaints told the police about being abused. After the BBC released a documentary on Fayed last September, 90 women came forward to complain.
According to the London Metropolitan Police, between 1977 and 2014, Al Fayed was allegedly involved in rape and sexual harassment. They have already reviewed more than 50,000 pages of evidence in this regard. Evidence also includes victim statements.
Meanwhile, as a part of the investigation, the detectives of the 'Directorate of Professional Standards' are trying to find out whether any former or current members of the Metropolitan Police have collaborated in Fayed's misdeeds.
In a witness statement, Bob Loftus, 83, a former director of security at Harrods, claimed a former commander of the London Metropolitan Police had accepted lavish gifts in exchange for helping Harrods. The detectives are also looking into his statement.
Earlier, Loftus claimed, a detective constable regularly took bribes in return for complying with Fayed's immoral demands. He was even secretly given a mobile phone from Harrods.
Loftus served at Harrods from 1987 to 1996. The Guardian could not reach him for comment as he was ill. However, his assistant Eamonn Cole said that Loftus' statement may be correct.
Incidentally, Al Fayed accused the British royal family of conspiracy behind the death of son Dodi and Diana. He alleged that they were killed on the orders of Prince Philip. Al Fayed died last year at the age of 94.
Source: The Guardian
