JD.com founder Richard Liu is exonerated of rape claim by newly released evidence, his lawyer says
- The young woman told Liu’s lawyer she preferred to settle the matter with a cash payment and an apology from the billionaire, police records reveal
- Written police report and surveillance video ‘support US prosecutors’ decision not to file charges’ over accusation by Chinese student, Liu’s lawyer says
Lawyers for JD.com founder Richard Liu Qiangdong said evidence released by law enforcement officials in the United States exonerated the billionaire, who was accused of rape last year by a Chinese student at the University of Minnesota.
“The evidence released today again reaffirms our strong belief from the very beginning that Mr Liu is innocent,” Jill Brisbois, a lawyer for Liu, said in a statement after the release of material in Minnesota on Wednesday.
Prosecutors announced in December that Liu, who had been arrested on August 31, would face no criminal charges because the case had “profound evidentiary problems” and it was unlikely they could prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
His accuser, Liu Jingyao, has since filed a civil lawsuit against the tech CEO over the alleged assault. The personal injury suit also names JD.com as a defendant and seeks more than US$50,000 in damages.
“The written police report, in addition to the surveillance video, fully dispels the misinformation and unsubstantiated speculation that has been widely circulated and irrefutably supports the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office decision not to file charges against our client,” Brisbois said on Wednesday.