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Harrods has requested the Excessive Court docket to nominate particular executors to the property of its late former proprietor, Mohamed Al Fayed, in an try to open up one other route for compensation for alleged victims of his sexual abuse.
The luxurious London division retailer confirmed on Friday that it has lodged a so-called passing-over utility to nominate skilled executors to hold out the administration of the property. Meaning his widow and two daughters might be changed as executors, in response to an individual aware of the scenario.
“This utility probably opens a route for survivors who don’t have any connection to Harrods — and so are usually not eligible to use to the Harrods Redress Scheme — to make claims immediately in opposition to the Fayed property,” Harrods mentioned in an announcement on Friday. “It additionally opens a route for Harrods to probably search contribution for compensation paid out by Harrods for the actions of [Al] Fayed.”
Greater than 100 victims had entered the division retailer’s compensation scheme over the previous three months, “a lot of whom have had eligibility confirmed”, Harrods added.
Harrods’ courtroom submitting comes after the BBC final 12 months broadcast allegations of sexual assault, together with rape, in opposition to Al Fayed, who died in 2023 aged 94. The Egyptian businessman owned and managed Harrods between 1985 and 2010, when he bought it to a Qatari sovereign wealth fund.
Legislation agency Harbottle & Lewis is representing Heini Wathén, the widow of the late businessman, and his daughter Camilla, whereas Farrer & Co is representing his daughter Jasmine. Collectively, the three are the executors of the property, in response to the individual aware of the association.
Harrods began victims’ payouts on the finish of April and has beforehand mentioned victims might apply for compensation till March 31 subsequent 12 months, though it might prolong the deadline.
Victims can nonetheless take Harrods to courtroom in the event that they resolve the settlement scheme is just not appropriate for them.
Harbottle & Lewis and Farrer & Co didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.