JD founder's case storms social media

Statement from JD.com

JD.com said in a Sunday statement on its Weibo account its founder and CEO Liu Qiangdong, also known as Richard Liu, was falsely accused of sexual misconduct while in the US on a business trip.

The statement said local police found no misconduct and that Liu would continue his trip as planned.

"We will take necessary legal action against false reporting or rumors," the company said.

The New York Times claimed it contacted a spokesperson at JD.com and asked when Liu will return to China, receiving no reply.

What's next?

Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said the police will conduct further investigation with two possible outcomes. If the offense is determined to be a gross misdemeanor or felony, the police will submit results to the local prosecutor, with the prosecutor filing the case to local court, and the court will finally convict the suspect. The local police may also retract the accusation and close the case if they find insufficient evidence after investigation, China Business News reported.

The local police investigation will determine the direction of this case and it is hard to estimate the timeline. Some cases are closed after a very short time while others are not, the spokesman said.