Inside hunt for fixer dubbed ‘Fayed’s Ghislaine Maxwell’ as ex-Harrods worker tells how sex predator raped her aged 16
PRESSURE was mounting on key figures linked to Mohamed Fayed last night to reveal what they knew and when about his reign of terror at Harrods.
It comes as London’s Met Police urged sex assault victims of Fayed to come forward — and vowed to “fully explore whether any other individuals could be pursued for any criminal offences”.
Last night, sources told the Sun “dynamite” new testimony was set to widen the scandal and could drag in Fulham FC, which the late Egyptian tycoon owned for 16 years.
Barrister Dean Armstrong KC — representing the Fayed victims — has claimed the tycoon was “enabled by a system that pervaded Harrods”.
And victims are angry over a wall of silence around those linked to the ex-Harrods chairman who may be able to shed light on his behaviour.
They include Harrods MD Michael Ward — who took over the role in 2006, four years before Fayed sold the store — and the late Egyptian’s long-serving spokesman Michael Cole, 80.
Ward, 68, yesterday released a statement denying knowledge of Fayed’s “toxic culture of secrecy, intimidation and sexual misconduct”.
But he has not answered questions.
Meanwhile sources said former BBC royal reporter Cole — who was at Fayed’s side from 1988 to 1998 — had “gone to ground”.
He was Fayed’s spokesman at the time a 1995 Vanity Fair article — alleging sexual misconduct and staff surveillance but not sexual assault — was published.
‘Doors locked’
While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of Ward or Cole, they do have important questions to answer about their time with Fayed, who died last year aged 94.
Fayed sued for libel and the case was dropped in 1997 after Cole led negotiations which resulted in a settlement that saw Vanity Fair agree to destroy its evidence.
Concerns have also been raised about the role of a female fixer dubbed “Fayed’s Ghislaine Maxwell”, who investigators were told found young women for him to abuse.
A source said: “She worked for Fayed and became his key fixer.
“She helped him find women. She was even interviewed once by the police but it came to nothing.”
The source added: “Everyone knew what she was doing.”
Investigators probing the scandal also believe Sarah Andrews — Harrods’ chief retail officer — could provide information on Fayed.
She joined the luxury Knightsbridge store in 2003. But there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on her part.
Two other former senior figures at Harrods — ex-director of beauty and fashion Marigay McKee and resigned HR director Geoffrey Archard — have also remained tight-lipped.
Victims named Dr Ann Coxon, 83, as the medic who carried out invasive medical checks on them — including for sexually transmitted infections.
We told on Wednesday how she is still practising, on London’s Harley Street. Asked yesterday by a BBC reporter if she carried out tests on staff for STIs, Dr Coxon replied: “No.”
Another Harrods doctor, Wendy Snell — also accused of intrusive examinations — has since died.
Other key members of Fayed’s circle — including his ex-detective head of security John MacNamara and PR adviser Max Clifford — are also dead. Yet a source close to the investigation said: “Why are all these remaining people keeping quiet? For the victims’ sakes, it is time we heard from them properly.”
And we can reveal the team investigating Fayed for the Justice For Harrods Survivors group have received bombshell new information this week.
Sources said the timeframe of the scandal — so far limited to Fayed’s chairmanship at Harrods from 1985 to 2010 — could expand.
And investigators are understood to have received allegations linked to Fayed’s ownership of Premier League club Fulham from 1997 to 2013.
Our source added: “Fayed was 55 when he bought Harrods — so, let’s face it, he is likely to have assaulted and abused women before then, considering what he has been exposed for doing. And the direction of travel for the investigation is very much towards Fulham, with dramatic announcements on that front possibly coming next week.”
More than 200 women have now come forward to the Survivors group to say they were sexually assaulted by Fayed.
Investigators — officially working with 37 women — are now actively probing more than 60 claims.
Numbers have grown since dozens told BBC Two investigation Al Fayed; Predator At Harrods, aired last week, that they were assaulted or raped.
One woman, Kate, yesterday told how Fayed lured her to his apartment on Park Lane in central London, and raped her when she was 16. Kate — not her real name — had recently started working at Harrods. She said: “He tried to pressure me into having sex with him, but I kept saying no.
“He became angry, the doors were locked and I couldn’t get out. He raped me.”
She has become the sixth woman to publicly accuse Fayed of rape.
In a statement issued yesterday — a week after the BBC documentary — former Harrods MD Michael Ward expressed his “personal horror at the revelations that have emerged”.
He added: “We have all seen the survivors bravely speak about the terrible abuse suffered at the hands of Harrods former owner Mohamed Fayed. We failed our colleagues and for that we are deeply sorry.
“As someone who has worked at Harrods since 2006, and therefore worked for Fayed until the change of ownership in 2010, I feel it is important to make it clear that I was not aware of his criminality and abuse.”
He added that Harrods was now “unrecognisable” from its past and that the department store has set up a settlement process.
‘Wall of silence’
But a source close to the investigation — headed by barristers Dean Armstrong KC and Bruce Drummond — said: “Why won’t Mr Ward answer questions?
“This statement is a week late and suggests that he heard nothing and saw nothing.
“If that is the case, why doesn’t he come out and do an interview? Survivors of Fayed are angry at what they see as a wall of silence around this case. Now it seems like the first person to say something did not know anything.”
Women who say they were subjected to medical examinations — with results fed back to Fayed — have also complained about Dr Coxon to the General Medical Council, we can reveal.
Fayed victim Kate also told yesterday how the medical exam-inations included checking for STIs including HIV.
She said: “It was organised for me to see Dr Ann Coxon for a company medical.
“It was sold to me as a perk. I explained that I had not become sexually active yet and it was unnecessary.” She said Fayed later discussed the results and questioned her “purity” — before later raping her.
She added: “Dr Coxon had given him the all-clear he needed.”
A GMC spokesman described the alleged cases of sexual abuse by Fayed as “horrifying”.
They added: “If we identify any potential fitness-to-practise concerns about individual doctors, we will thoroughly examine all relevant information and take action.”
A spokesman for Justice For Harrods Survivors confirmed that “several of the new enquiries received since last week’s press conference relate to Fulham FC under the period of Fayed’s ownership”.
London’s Met Police yesterday said it had identified 19 allegations against Fayed between 2005 and 2023. Three were of rape and 15 of sexual assault.
They said they had approached the Crown Prosecution Service five times — three times for advice, and in 2009 and 2015 with evidence.
The force revealed they had now received new allegations against Fayed, but would not say how many, and urged more women to come forward.
It added: “We must ensure we fully explore whether any individuals could be pursued for criminal offences.”
Commander Stephen Clayman said: “It is vital that any victims have a voice and are able to report any allegations if they have not done so before, and know that they will be taken seriously.
“We will do everything possible to update on our progress, but it is crucial we do this thoroughly and we do it right.”
Harrods said it would be “inappropriate” to comment while it is independently examining claims.
A spokesman for Fulham FC said: “We remain in the process of establishing whether anyone at the club is or has been affected by the reports concerning Mr Fayed.
‘In the meantime, should any person wish to share information or experiences on this, they may contact the club at safeguarding@ fulhamfc.com or through the police.”
Key figures linked to Mohamed Fayed
Michael Ward
MANAGING director of Harrods who worked for Fayed from 2006 to 2010.
Said in a statement he was unaware of boss’s “criminality and abuse” but said store “failed” victims.
Michael Cole
FORMER BBC royal correspondent was tycoon’s spokesman from 1988 until 1998.
Helped Fayed settle libel action with Vanity Fair magazine. Has not commented on revelations.
John Macnamara
HEAD of security for Fayed was a former Met detective.
One woman claimed he issued threats to prevent her from speaking out about her ordeal.
Died aged 83 in 2019.
Marigay McKee
SENIOR figure who worked at Harrods from 1999 until 2013.
Currently a partner with a New York tech investment firm, she has not spoken about the rape and abuse claims.
Max Clifford
BOASTED of covering up for Fayed, who he called a “randy old sod”.
The disgraced PR guru was jailed for indecent assault in 2014 and died behind bars three years later, age 74.
Dr Ann Coxon
VICTIMS claim the medic carried out checks on them for STIs, with the results sent to Fayed. She denies the allegations.
Dr Coxon, 83, still practises on London’s Harley Street.
Dr Wendy Snell
HARRODS’ in-house GP is said to have carried out intrusive gynaecological tests and sexual health examinations on women who worked in Fayed’s office.
She died in 2022, age 64.