LONDON - Retail billionaire Philip Green,
one of Britain's most prominent businessmen, was named in
parliament on Thursday as having taken legal action to try to
prevent publication of allegations of sexual harassment against
him.
The Telegraph newspaper said on Wednesday that a leading
businessmen had been granted an injunction by a British judge
preventing it from identifying him and publishing details of
alleged sexual harassment and racial abuse of staff.
In a statement, Green denied having broken the law and said
his businesses fully investigated employee grievances.
"To the extent that it is suggested that I have been guilty
of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour, I categorically and
wholly deny these allegations," he said in a statement issued by
a media representative.
The case has been cast in the British media as an example of
powerful men using money and lawyers to cover up allegations of
sexual harassment.
Labour politician Peter Hain used a speech in the upper
house of the British parliament, the House of Lords, to name
Green.
Under Britain's system of parliamentary privilege,
members can speak freely and their comments can be reported by
the media.
"I feel it's my duty under parliamentary privilege to name
Philip Green as the individual in question," Hain said.
"The media have been subject to an injunction preventing
publication of full details of a story which is clearly in the
public interest."
In his statement, Green said his Arcadia group, which owns
TopShop, sometimes reached confidential legal settlements in
response to employees' formal complaints, in common with other
large businesses.
"These are settled with the agreement of all parties and
their legal advisers. These settlements are confidential so I
cannot comment further on them," he said.
The Telegraph had described the case as "the British #MeToo
scandal which cannot be revealed."
The #MeToo movement began in the United States last year in
response to accusations of sexual harassment and abuse by
powerful men in the entertainment industry including film
producer Harvey Weinstein.
Green, 66, became one of the Britain's best known retailers
when he bought department store group BHS in 2000 and TopShop
owner Arcadia in 2002.
The entrepreneur, once known as 'king of the high street'
was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. But his reputation was damaged
by the collapse of BHS after he sold the chain for 1 pound in
2015 to a businessman who had formerly been declared bankrupt.
Lawmakers blamed Green for the chain's demise and said it
raised questions about gaps in company law and pension
regulation. In a report to parliament in July 2016, they called
the collapse "the unacceptable face of capitalism".
Green called the report "the predetermined and inaccurate
output of a biased and unfair process" and said the sale had
been made in good faith.