JD.com CEO arrested for alleged sexual misconduct in the US
JD.com chief executive officer Richard Liu has been arrested in the US for alleged sexual misconduct during a business trip.
Richard Liu, chairman and CEO of JD.com / JD.com
Minneapolis Police Department is conducting an investigation after Liu, known as Liu Qiangdong in China, was arrested for criminal sexual conduct late in the 31 August. The Chinese billionaire was released the next day, according to police records.
JD.com released a statement on Weibo expressing concern about “false rumours”. The statement said Liu encountered a “false accusation” and US police found no misconduct. The statement also said the company will take “the necessary legal action against false reporting or rumours”.
Liu’s arrest comes months after the billionaire was linked to a high profile sexual assault case in Australia, which was alleged to have happened after a party hosted by Liu at his Sydney penthouse in 2015.
Liu was not involved in the incident and was not accused of any wrongdoing in the case. He did attempt to get court orders to prevent the release of his name to protect his business and personal reputation, however, his suppression order was denied.