Police have interviewed a man in his 60s under caution over allegations of human trafficking and facilitating rape in connection with the late Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, the Metropolitan Police said.
The suspect was questioned this month after 154 people came forward with allegations of sexual abuse by Fayed. The interview follows the questioning of three women in their 40s, 50s and 60s between 25 February and 5 March on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
No arrests have been made and the investigation continues. Scotland Yard previously said it was investigating more than five people who may have facilitated Fayed’s alleged crimes, and detectives have identified several more suspects to be questioned in the coming months.
Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94, is alleged to have used his wealth and power to attack scores of women over four decades, with his youngest victim aged 13. The alleged crimes span from 1977 to 2014, with about 400 offences possibly committed.
The Met said officers have examined more than 50,000 pages of evidence, including victim statements, and retrieved significant material from previous reports about Fayed. Lawyers for alleged victims had urged police to treat the scandal as trafficking allegations, saying the investigation, codenamed Operation Cornpoppy, was initially too narrow.
