Mohamed Al Fayed: power, abuse & cover-up
5/14/202656 min
Just like Jimmy Savile, for years Mohamed Al Fayed used his power and wealth to commit hundreds of sexual crimes and get away with it. In this episode, Andy & Neil hear from Cheska Hill-Wood, a former Harrods employee and survivor of his abuse, about exactly how Al Fayed groomed victims and leaned on a network of corrupt police officers to ensure he was protected from prosecution and scrutiny while he was still alive.
They ask the uncomfortable questions: was Al Fayed treated differently just because he was a billionaire businessman? Why were the police and Harrods happy to cover up his abuse for so long? And what are the chances of any of those who were complicit in his crimes ever facing justice?
Warning: please note this episode includes a survivor's account of sexual assault.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAndy Hughes· Host0:01
[upbeat jingle] This is a Global Player original podcast.
Cesca Hill-Wood· Guest0:05
He'd set up the camera conveniently in his own bedroom, pointed it towards me, and said to read the words, "Take me, take me please." And I'm standing there in a swimming costume in his bedroom.
Andy Hughes· Host0:15
Do you think that this was covered up by the police because of the links that Al-Fayed had?
Cesca Hill-Wood· Guest0:21
Yeah.
Andy Hughes· Host0:21
These officers were effectively being bribed.
Neil Basu· Host0:24
And it leaves you with the inescapable conclusion that it wasn't incompetence. There was corruption involved here somewhere.
Andy Hughes· Host0:30
What should the police do to them?
Cesca Hill-Wood· Guest0:33
They've got to make arrests. They've got to make people accountable.
Andy Hughes· Host0:36
How does that make you feel?
Cesca Hill-Wood· Guest0:37
Angry. Really, really angry. These people are out there, and they know what they did, and they need to face it because they have collectively ruined so many women's lives.
Andy Hughes· Host0:48
Ugh, Neil, I was pissed off before that interview. I'm, I'm even more pissed off now. The Met ignored red flag after red flag after red flag. [gentle music] The Crime Agents. Welcome to The Crime Agents with me, crime journalist Andy Hughes.
Neil Basu· Host1:09
And me, the ex-cop Neil Basu.
Andy Hughes· Host1:10
Mohamed Al-Fayed is the subject of this podcast. He was an Egyptian-born billionaire businessman. He owned Harrods, a luxury, uh, department store in Knightsbridge, and the owner of, uh, Fulham Football Club as well. Uh, he was an extremely controversial figure. He was known for