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£25.49James McArthur, a former Harrods CEO, has described Mohamed Al Fayed’s behaviour as “abhorrent” but insisted he never witnessed any incidents of sexual abuse. The former Harrods proprietor has faced accusations of rape and sexual assault from more than 20 female complainants, who recently spoke to a BBC documentary. McArthur was CEO for 10 months in 2008, a period when London’s Metropolitan Police investigated allegations of assault by Al Fayed on a teenage girl in a Harrods conference room. He stated that he did not even know of the investigation, adding that he was unaware of other negative publicity during his tenure.
McArthur added that Al-Fayed’s inappropriate humour and lack of professional conduct were among the abhorrent behaviours he suffered as CEO, reflecting the high turnover of senior managers during Fayed’s ownership. Although media coverage of the 2008 accusation and subsequent inquiry was extensive, McArthur stated he could not recall it. He emphasised that he would have acted had he known of any abuse; there was not enough evidence to convict Al-Fayed of any offence.
McArthur left Harrods to become CEO of handbag manufacturer Anya Hindmarch in 2012. A personal history on McArthur’s LinkedIn page identifies him as an investor, director and advisor. The BBC contacted several other former Harrods directors on Al-Fayed’s watch for their reactions to the allegations. Andre Maeder, CEO of Selfridges, said he was “horrified” and Richard Simonin, Harrods chief executive from 2003 to 2005, refused to comment.
The Qatar sovereign wealth fund bought Harrods in 2010 and has acknowledged that Al-Fayed’s victims were let down. The BBC reported that Harrods is investigating whether any present employees were involved in assisting Al Fayed in his alleged crimes
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