刘强东涉性侵案女主微信曝光 | JD CEO's lawyer pushes back report of rape case
Shares of Chinese e-commerce giant JD slumped 7.47 percent to $24.51 on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Tuesday, after Reuters reported more details about sexual assault allegations against the company's founder and CEO Liu Qiangdong.
Read more: 美国警方：刘强东已获释，案件在调查中 | JD founder's case storms social media
In a report on Monday, Reuters said a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student sent a WeChat message to a friend in the middle of the night. She wrote that Liu had forced her to have sex with him at her apartment after a dinner party.
"I was not willing," she wrote in Chinese on the messaging application around 2 am on Aug 31, according to Reuters. "Tomorrow I will think of a way to escape," she wrote, as she begged the friend not to call the police. "He will suppress it," she wrote, referring to Liu. "You underestimate his power," she said.
One of the woman's lawyers, Wil Florin, verified that the text messages came from her, Reuters said.
Media reports say Liu was arrested on Aug 31 in Hennepin County on suspicion of rape. He was released without bail the following afternoon and then returned to work in China.
The Minneapolis Police Department turned over the findings of its initial investigation into the matter to local prosecutors on Thursday.
The prosecutors will review the evidence and decide whether to bring charges against Liu, said County Attorney Mike Freeman. There is no deadline for making a decision, and the office said it would have no further comment in the meantime.
Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said Liu maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation. "These allegations are inconsistent with evidence that we hope will be disclosed to the public once the case is closed," Brisbois wrote in a response to Reuters.
"It is unfair for Reuters to publish a one-sided story right now when the case is still open and prosecutors are still considering the case," Brisbois said in an email sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.
"We are not at liberty to share that evidence with the media right now, as other people are doing, because we respect and do not want to interfere with the judicial process. We have turned everything we have over to investigators," Brisbois added.
Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for JD, said that when more information becomes available, it will become apparent that the information in this note doesn't tell the full story.
According to media reports, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Liu's wife Zhang Zetian, said on WeChat that "As long as we are here together, it's happiness. Hope the day will come soon when clouds could be dispelled and let the moon out."
The Reuters report sparked another round of discussion among Chinese netizens. Some claimed that Liu is being entrapped and has bad luck.
"Richard (Liu) was arrested over an allegation we believe is false. He was quickly released by the police without any restriction on his travel and without being required to post bail," Brisbois said.
Shen Meng, director of boutique investment bank Chanson & Co, said: "If Liu, as the actual controller of JD were judged to be guilty, the daily operation of JD will be heavily affected."
"Liu's affair in US set off alarm bells among Chinese companies which are listed in the US stock market," said Shen, adding that their senior management staff should speak and act cautiously.
Sources: China Daily, Global Times
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What pupils eat, the headmaster should eat, too