The former boss of luxury department store Harrods Mohamed Al-Fayed has been accused of rape and sexual assault by a string of numerous former employees. More than 20 women have spoken to the BBC as part of a special investigation, coming forward with allegations of assault and physical violence at properties in London and Paris. The broadcaster reported five women alleged they had been raped by Mr Al Fayed, who died last year aged 94.
Mr Al Fayed had previously been accused of sexually assaulting and groping multiple women. He was the father of Dodi Al Fayed, who was killed in the 1997 car crash which also claimed the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. Who was Mohamed Al-Fayed? Mohamed Al-Fayed was an Egyptian billionaire businessman, known for owning the Hotel Ritz in Paris, Harrods and Fulham FC.
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1929 and was the eldest son of a primary school teacher and brother to four siblings. Al-Fayed moved to England in the 1960s - (the 'al' was reportedly added to his name sometime after his move) - before meeting the former ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum who entrusted him with helping transform Dubai. The businessman introduced several British companies to the emirate to carry out the required construction work and became a financial adviser to the then Sultan of Brunei Omar Ali Saifuddien III in 1966.
Al-Fayed bought The Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1979, and Harrods in London in 1984, while he also owned Fulham FC between 1997 to .