A serving Metropolitan Police officer and four former officers are under investigation over their handling of sexual abuse allegations linked to Mohamed Al Fayed, according to reports.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has launched an inquiry into potential misconduct connected to the way complaints against the late businessman were dealt with by the Metropolitan Police.
Al Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, died in 2023 at the age of 94. Since then, more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 1977 have reportedly been linked to him.
The investigation by the police watchdog, which the BBC reported began in January 2025, relates to complaints made by four individuals concerning alleged abuse by Al Fayed.
In a statement to the BBC, the IOPC confirmed: “At this stage, five individuals – a serving Met officer and four former Met officers – have been advised that they are being investigated for potential misconduct.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the force is cooperating fully with the ongoing inquiry.
The statement added: “One serving and four former officers are being investigated for potential misconduct. The serving of notices does not mean that misconduct proceedings will necessarily follow. Our investigation into individuals who may have facilitated or enabled offending by Mohamed Al Fayed remains active.”
The latest development follows a separate investigation announced by the Met earlier this year. In March, detectives interviewed a man in his 60s under caution over allegations including human trafficking and facilitating rape connected to the wider Al Fayed investigation.
Police also confirmed that three women were questioned 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 remains ongoing.
The Metropolitan Police previously stated that investigators are examining whether individuals within Al Fayed’s circle may have helped enable or facilitate alleged sexual offences committed between 1977 and 2014.
The growing number of allegations has intensified scrutiny over how previous complaints involving the former businessman were handled and whether opportunities to prevent abuse were missed.