Mohamed Al Fayed ‘plied Harrods managers with cash gifts to control them’

Mohamed Al Fayed plied Harrods managers with envelopes of cash to conceal his crimes and sacked those he could not control, an ex-director of the luxury department store has said.

Police are investigating allegations made against the former Harrods owner after 90 alleged victims came forward with accusations against Fayed.

The alleged offences range from rape and serious sexual assault to sexual misconduct in the decades between 1977 to 2014.

The late billionaire, who was 94 when he died in 2023, was never charged in connection with the accusations.

Jon Brilliant, who worked in Fayed’s private office for 18 months, told the BBC Fayed attempted to buy his loyalty with large amounts of cash, totalling around $50,000 (£39,000).

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

Harrods did not respond to Mr Brilliant’s claims, the BBC reported.

It has previously stated it is “appalled by the allegations of abuse” and said “the Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Fayed between 1985 and 2010.”

The company has also said it is determined to “do the right thing” and ensure such behaviour is never repeated.

It has opened a claims process for victims, appointed Dame Jasvinder Sanghera as an independent survivor advocate and said it has an “ongoing line of communication” with the Metropolitan Police.

Mr Brilliant said he said he was “horrified” when he first heard Fayed had allegedly abused hundreds of women.

The former Harrods director told the BBC he “beat himself up” about whether he should have questioned anything more at the time.

Brilliant, who was 36-years-old when he joined Harrods in August 2000, was appointed to relaunch the department store’s online business.

He said ahead of his first business trip to visit Microsoft in Seattle, Fayed gave him a brown envelope containing $5,000 (£3,993) in $50 notes.

Mr Brilliant said when he returned from the trip he tried to return the cash to Fayed but the late billionaire refused to accept it and asked him: “You didn’t need any entertainment?”

For the next six months, cash gifts were given prior to business trips in various currencies, Mr Brilliant claimed.

He said senior colleagues told him at the time that Fayed was attempting to compromise him.

“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 Brilliant told the BBC.

He added: “I am certainly aware of people who… succumbed to the temptation.”

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Mr Brilliant, a US citizen, said he repeatedly tried to return the money, until his family arrived in London and he started looking for a home. With Fayed’s consent, he put it towards the purchase of a property, he said.

Mr Brilliant also spoke of a management structure and culture designed to cover up Fayed’s actions, alleging surveillance and phone bugging – which he believes he was subjected to – and firings were used as tools to prevent managers from trusting and communicating with each other.

“I 100 per cent can see how the management structure and culture was set up to cover it up, mask it from people,” Mr Brilliant said.

The BBC said four other former directors who wanted to remain anonymous have confirmed aspects of Mr Brilliant’s claims.

Asked if he should have done more to protect the women around Fayed, Mr Brilliant said: “I wasn’t privy to that amount of information that would otherwise suggest that there was something deeper going on.”

A police investigation has been launched into more than five people who may have “facilitated” or assisted Fayed’s, alleged sexual offences.

“We are now pursuing any individuals suspected to have been complicit in his offending and we are committed to seeking justice,” Met Police Commander Steve Clayman said on Wednesday.

Emma Jones, partner at Leigh Day, which represents clients affected by the Al Fayed scandal, said: “We note the widening of the police investigation to cover those who facilitated Al Fayed’s abuse, although the news offers too little too late to survivors.

“The fact that the Metropolitan Police has also referred cases to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to the scandal raises serious concerns about accountability.”

“By referring their own cases, the police are effectively marking their own homework, which is unlikely to inspire public confidence or deliver the level of transparency and scrutiny this case demands,” Ms Jones added.

Harrods has been approached for further comment.