Mohamed Al Fayed made four-figure donation to police - a year after first sex attack accusations

Mohamed Al Fayed grins down the instrumentality of a £7,000 car helium donated to the Met Police who failed to apprehension the tycoon, contempt a drawstring of pistillate employees accusing him intersexual assault

Mohamed Al Fayed is pictured successful a £7,000 car helium donated to the Met Police who failed to apprehension the tycoon contempt a drawstring of pistillate employees accusing him intersexual assault.

Wearing a elder officer's hat, the smiling Harrods brag became the "first businessman to sponsor" the unit successful 1996, a twelvemonth aft helium was archetypal publically accused of intersexual misconduct. It raises questions astir whether the Met investigated Al Fayed "without fearfulness oregon favour" erstwhile astatine slightest 5 women and girls made allegations against him earlier his death, aged 94, past year.

Details of the sponsorship woody came to airy aft dozens of women came guardant to impeach Al Fayed of intersexual maltreatment and rape successful the aftermath of a BBC documentary past week Female Harrods employees made enactment allegations against Al Fayed to the constabulary successful 2008, 2015, 2018, 2021 and 2023.

But helium was ne'er arrested, contempt 4 of his accusers coming guardant aft the Met promised to amended maltreatment investigations successful the aftermath of the 2012 Jimmy Savile scandal. The Crown Prosecution Service was lone asked to see charges successful 2008 and 2015, erstwhile helium was questioned by assignment for conscionable fractional an hour.

Brazen Al Fayed was pictured handing implicit keys of the white, four-door Rover, emblazoned with the words "This car is sponsored by Harrods" to Supt Peter Dowse extracurricular Harrods. Mr Dowse said astatine the clip that helium was "delighted" to judge the car, adding that sponsorship did not compromise constabulary ethics.

He said: "We look precise cautiously astatine who we would judge sponsorship from and we are lone excessively delighted to judge it from Harrods." Al Fayed told reporters: "It is bully conscionable to beryllium capable to help," adding that helium was pleased to assistance "the top metropolitan constabulary unit successful the world".

He was speaking 2 years aft a young pistillate had travel guardant to Harrods' bosses to impeach Al Fayed of sexually assaulting her. But alternatively of arresting the billionaire, Met Police officers held the guiltless young pistillate successful cells overnight connected trumped up theft claims.

She aboriginal accepted an retired of tribunal colony from Al Fayed but fled the state pursuing threats. Speaking from his Essex location this week, retired Mr Dowse said the woody had been signed disconnected by elder officers astatine the Met, past headed by Sir Paul Condon. He said the car was utilized connected patrols by Special Constables successful Kensington and Chelsea.

Referring to Al Fayed arsenic "Mohamed", Mr Dowse said: "The embarrassing happening for maine was erstwhile his PR, who was an ex-BBC TV analogous [Michael Cole], took my chapeau disconnected maine and gave it to him. I got told off... good I didn't get told off... I was asked 'how did that happen?'. I said 'what did you privation maine to do? Have a combat with Mohamed successful the thoroughfare successful beforehand of BBC and ITV?'"

Mr Dowse said helium had ne'er been alert of immoderate enactment claims against Al Fayed. He said: "All I cognize is it was rather a strict regime, you cognize the information and everything, that my sergeant, who was my operations sergeant, near the constabulary and went and joined him arsenic 1 of his elder information officers."

Vanity Fair published an nonfiction accusing Al Fayed of racism, unit surveillance and intersexual misconduct successful 1995, a twelvemonth earlier helium bought the car. His caput of security, erstwhile Met Chief Supt John Macnamara, dubbed "Mac the Knife", was allegedly astatine the bosom of Al Fayed's chilling run to soundlessness his victims.

He joined Harrons successful 1986 from the Met wherever helium served connected the Fraud Squad and the "Line of Duty" CIB section Macnamara was described by 1 erstwhile Harrods workfellow arsenic a "nasty portion of work". Tom Bower's 1998 publication "Fayed: The Unauthorised Biography" revealed however Macnamara cultivated important Yard contacts for his boss, calling successful favours from officers helium and his information squad drank with.

At higher levels, officers would beryllium wined and dined, fixed hospitality and showered with gifts, including Christmas hampers, Mr Bower wrote. Dinner guests would routinely beryllium fixed bottles of whisky portion elder officers were fixed jumbo acquisition bags for their families.

One serviceman was said to beryllium supplied with his favourite ties, courtesy of the information department. Dozens of women person travel guardant to accidental they were raped oregon sexually assaulted by the Egyptian businessman. The Met declined to comment.