According to a former director of Harrods, Mohamed Al Fayed used cash bribes in an effort to purchase control over management and to conceal his wrongdoings. Jon Brilliant, who spent eighteen months in Al Fayed’s private office, alleges the magnate provided him with envelopes containing around $50,000 (£39,000) to bribe and manipulate him. He claims that, failing that, he was fired.
Four anonymous former directors corroborate Mr Brilliant’s account of an environment that disdained internal trust, with staff pitted against each other. Information was treated as a currency that could curry favour or be used against someone. Mr Brilliant claims such a system inhibited people’s ability to exercise independent judgement or to question Al Fayed’s actions.
It is alleged that Al Fayed was given to spying through Harrods’ extensive team of security staff who are thought to have bugged various telephones. An executive who wished to remain anonymous says that he was warned that his Al Fayed-owned property was bugged when he started at Harrods.
Brilliant states that when he was first made aware of the extent of Harrods’ internal issues he was horrified. He admits he has asked himself whether he could have done more to prevent it. Harrods did not respond to Mr Brilliant’s allegations. In a prior statement, it mentioned its utter horror in relation to any mistreatment of workers.
Harrods declined to comment on Mr Brilliant’s claims specifically, but said in a statement that the allegations made by BBC Panorama were “utterly appalled” by the abuse allegations, adding that it is a “very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed”. The store says it’s committed to ensuring its current and former employees feel safe at work. If you have information on this story that you’d like to share, please contact the BBC
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