JD.com, the Chinese e-commerce giant confuted the latest sexual misconduct allegation against its chief Richard Liu found in a 21-year-old University of Minnesota student's WeChat messages.
The accuser reportedly wrote to friends that Liu had forced her to have sex with him around 1 a.m. on August 31. Liu ended up back at her apartment as they finished attending a dinner party with a group in a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis on August 30, where the two consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, according to various sources and security camera footages Reuters unveiled.
In a response, JD.com has denied the allegation saying that it misrepresented the story, according to Loretta Chao, a spokeswoman for the company.
"It will become apparent that the information in this note doesn't tell the full story," Reuter reported citing her as saying.
In addition, one of Liu's lawyer said the 45-year-old Chinese billionaire maintains his innocence and has cooperated fully with the investigation, as the allegation is "inconsistent with evidence," backing the company's announcement earlier this month saying the accusation made against him was unsubstantiated.
Liu has returned to China since he was later released without charge after being under arrest by Minneapolis police on August 31 in for alleged rape.
The 21-year-old student reportedly wrote in Chinese saying she is "not willing," and "will think of a way to escape" on Wechat around 2 a.m. on August 31 before Liu's arrest.
"He will suppress it," the unidentified woman wrote to a friend referring to Liu. "You underestimate his power."
"It was a trap," she later wrote to a second friend, adding she was really drunk and felt pressured to drink.
A source told Reuters that Liu was seen pulling her into a car, and started to touch her.
"Then I begged him not to… but he did not listen," she wrote.
What happened over the following hours in the woman's apartment remains unknown and is under investigation.
JD.com released a statement on September 6 – on its English site rather than Chinese –assuring that its daily operation has not been impacted during this time.
