AsiaOne statement in response to The Online Citizen Asia's July 19 allegations

The Online Citizen Asia (TOCA) has published a scurrilous piece on AsiaOne's video of Mr Leon Perera's ex-driver.

TOCA is a Taiwan-based online platform managed by a Mr Terry Xu who is a Singaporean, also based in Taiwan.

AsiaOne is making the following clarifications and will reserve all rights:

First, it is untrue that Mr Edmund Chua who is our employee in the Consumer Insights and Analytics Office had any contact with the ex-driver, or was in any way involved with arranging the interview. This was made clear to TOCA. It is unfortunate that TOCA publishes untruths despite the facts being made clear to it.

AsiaOne would also like to point out that the said ex-driver was first interviewed by 8World News on July 17. AsiaOne then proceeded to conduct ground enquiries and found the contact through our efforts on July 18 and interviewed him.

Any suggestion that we received any information from any person from the Government on this matter is false. The TOCA piece is an insult to the men and women who dedicate their professionalism to journalism.

TOC then alleged that a Minister had made a visit to AsiaOne's new office just days before the leaked video emerged. This is also false.

AsiaOne notes that the TOCA article is cleverly worded to make insinuations while trying not to be libellous.

Nevertheless we have asked our lawyers to advise us.

Correction: We have changed the name of TOCA's publisher to the correct person.