Former CEO of Harrods He told the BBC He witnessed the “abhorrent” behaviour of the shop's late boss, Mohamed Al Fayed, but did not witness any sexual abuse.
James MacArthur, who served as CEO in 2008 during what he described as “the most unpleasant 10 months”, told the station he was not aware of any sexual abuse, despite five women alleging that Fayed had raped them.
Fayed, who died last year at age 94, has faced allegations of sexual misconduct from several others.
“While many aspects of Mr Fayed's behavior were abhorrent and my professional relationship with him was generally dysfunctional, I was not aware of any sexual abuse by him. If I had known, I would have taken action,” MacArthur said in a statement.
He said he was not aware that the Metropolitan police were investigating Fayed for an alleged assault on a 15-year-old girl.
“I am truly horrified by the details of the allegations that have been bravely revealed,” he said. “My heart goes out to Faid's victims and I sincerely hope that they get the justice and closure they are seeking.”
Harrods said it was currently conducting an internal investigation, including “exploring whether any current employees may have been directly or indirectly involved in the allegations”.
This comes after a former employee told BBC News that the store manager, who still works there, failed to investigate after she complained about inappropriate behaviour by Mr Fayed.
Harrods said its internal investigation into possible employee involvement is being supported by external counsel.
It added: “The Harrods board has established a non-executive committee of the board to further consider the issues arising from the allegations.”
“Harrods is in direct contact with the Metropolitan police and is committed to cooperating with any relevant investigations.”
Harrods added on Monday: “The settlement process has been developed in consultation with independent external counsel and experts in personal injury litigation. All claims settled to date and future claims will be based on the guidance of these external experts to ensure a swift and fair outcome for victims.”
