JD.com says CEO cleared in US after police investigation

[SHANGHAI] US police found no misconduct in an investigation into allegations made against JD.com Chairman Liu Qiangdong during his business trip to that country, the company said Sunday in a statement on its Weibo social media account. Local police, however, said the investigation was still ongoing.

Liu was taken into custody by the Minneapolis police late Friday on a charge of criminal sexual conduct and freed Saturday afternoon, according to a New York Times report, citing the jail roster for the Hennepin County Sheriff's office. The online retailer didn't give any details regarding the investigation in the Weibo statement.

John Elder, a spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department, said the investigation was still ongoing. The department decided not to hold Liu in custody while it is conducting its investigation, Elder said, declining to provide details about the reasons for the arrest.

Calls to the company's media and investor relations department went unanswered outside of business hours. The firm didn't immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

JD.com will take legal action against the publishing of untrue reports or rumors, the company said in the statement. Liu will continue his scheduled trip, according to JD.com.

BLOOMBERG