Fayed admits: I knew of Harrods deposit box raid

MOHAMED FAYED admitted today that his bitter rival Tiny Rowland's safe deposit box at Harrods had been broken into - but claimed that while he knew about it, he didn't authorise it.

In a sworn statement read to the High Court today he said: "I did not authorise it. I simply knew about it."

While admitting that documents, photographs and reel-to-reel tapes in the box were copied, Mr Fayed denied that the box contained any jewels or valuables, as alleged by 79-year-old Mr Rowland in his claim for damages against him and several of his security and personal staff. Parts of the defence to the claim were read during an application by Mr Rowland to hand over documents to the police and Crown Prosecution Service who are investigating the 1995 break-in. These privileged documents were revealed to Mr Rowland during preliminary correspondence between solicitors in the action, and cannot be revealed to anyone else without the court's permission. But after Christopher Carr, QC for Mr Fayed, said the police knew about the documents but showed "no interest" in them, the judge, Mr Justice Gavin Lightman, adjourned the hearing. He suggested the police be contacted and if they asked for the documents then Mr Fayed may voluntarily agree to them having them, as he had with an earlier list of documents, or the court could decide the issue.If they did not want them it was an end to the matter. Christopher Moger, QC for Mr Rowland, had told the judge the central issue in the civil claim is whether the documents and valuables were removed as his client claims. He said the criminal investigation by the police involves the same material as the civil action. Mr Fayed, his director of security John Macna-mara, his personal assistant Mark Griffiths, and bodyguard Paul Handley-Greaves, were all arrested earlier this year and questioned and released on bail which was recently extended until 25 June. "The indications are that a decision by the CPS on whether to charge them and if so with what is therefore imminent," said Mr Moger. He told the court Mr Rowland, who lost his battle for control of Harrods to Mr Fayed in 1985, has had a safe deposit box there for many years. In December 1995 he paid a visit to the box and this was reported to Mr Fayed by a security officer Bob Loftus, and Mr Fayed "showed anger and puzzlement" at how Mr Rowland continued to hire a box there without his knowledge, claimed Mr Moger. But in his defence to the civil claim "it is denied that Mr Fayed requested or ordered Mr Loftus to open the box. It is alleged that it was all Mr Loftus's idea and not the other defendants." It is admitted that the box was opened on three occasions when documents, photographs, and reel to reel tapes were copied and replaced. In their defence they say it never contained any valuables as alleged by Mr Rowland.

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