A serving Metropolitan Police officer and four former colleagues are under investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over their handling of sexual abuse allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed.
The probe follows complaints concerning the former Harrods owner, who died in 2023 aged 94. More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Al Fayed, some dating back to 1977.
The IOPC confirmed the investigation into the officers, which the BBC said was launched in January 2025, related to reports made against Al Fayed by four people.
In a statement to the BBC, the IOPC said: “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 Met Police spokesperson told the BBC the force was assisting the IOPC’s investigation into five officers.
A statement said: “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.”
In March the Metropolitan Police said a main in his 60s was interviewed under caution over allegations of human trafficking and facilitating rape in connection with the investigation into Al Fayed.
It came after three women were quizzed by detectives between February 25 and March 5, also on suspicion of aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Police said no arrests were made and the investigation is ongoing.
The Metropolitan Police previously announced the force is investigating individuals surrounding Al Fayed who could have enabled him to carry out more than 400 sexual misconduct crimes, which are claimed to have spanned decades between 1977 and 2014.
