EXCLUSIVE Why there MUST be a public inquiry into Harrods tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed...
By the lawyer who fought him By Lisa Brinkworth and Vanessa Allen Published: 22:02, 1 November 2024 | Updated: 22:02, 1 November 2024 e-mail View comments A lawyer who helped to investigate Mohamed Al Fayed yesterday called for a public inquiry into how the Harrods tycoon ran 'a criminal enterprise' for decades. Libel lawyer David Hooper, who defended Vanity Fair magazine in a legal action brought by the former Harrods boss, said a public inquiry was needed to examine Fayed's conduct, including allegations of rapes and sexual assaults on women, intimidation of former employees and alleged police corruption. Decisions by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) should also be subjected to public scrutiny, he said, alongside the actions of doctors who carried out intimate medical examinations on women.
Mr Hooper spoke as it emerged that more than 400 people have now come forward to say they were victims or witnesses to sexual misconduct by Fayed, following a BBC documentary. Lawyers for women who say they were abused by Fayed said some of the tycoon's 'enablers' were still alive, meaning they could potentially still face justice. Fayed ran Harrods for more than two decades until he sold it in 2010.
There is no suggestion of wrong-doing by the world-famous store's current owners or managers. Fayed died last year, aged 94, but questions remain over how his conduct went unchecked for decades David Hoop.
