FOCUS Malaysia refers to an article published on our portal on Nov 29, 2021 entitled “Vinod Shekar’s Bangsar HQ Raided in Money Laundering, Tax Evasion Probe”.
Following correspondence between FocusM and the solicitors for Datuk Vinod Sekhar, Chairman and Group CEO of the Petra Group, FocusM hereby unconditionally and unreservedly retracts the Article and apologises to Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group of Companies and GR Technologies Sdn Bhd for the publication thereof and for the distress, embarrassment and reputational harm caused by the publication
In particular, FocusM retracts the following statements, allegations and insinuations contained in the Article: The Alleged “Raid”, Money Laundering and Tax Evasion Investigation.
We retract the headline and statements in the Article asserting that the Petra Group’s headquarters in Bangsar had been subjected to a law enforcement “raid”.
We further retract any allegation, assertion or insinuation in the Article linking Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group, GR Technologies Sdn Bhd or their officers to what was described as one of the “biggest money laundering and tax evasion cases since the 1MDB scandal”.
We are now aware of the background that there was no alleged investigation which was related to an overseas contract concerning the procurement of ventilators by the Hungarian government.
We are also now aware that Datuk Vinod Sekhar facilitated the contract between the Hungarian government and ventilator suppliers purely on a philanthropic and goodwill basis and that neither Datuk Vinod Sekhar nor GR Technologies or the Petra Group profited from this arrangement.
We have further been informed that at all times details and purchases were done directly between the Hungarian government and the China-based supplier.
We wish to clarify that the statements made in the Article concerning Datuk Vinod Sekhar were not accurate. We accept that the Article should not have been published in the terms that it was and we regret any distress or embarrassment this may have caused Datuk Vinod Sekhar.
Reliance on the MalaysiaNow Report
For completeness, FocusM wishes to place on record that the writer responsible for the Article relied substantially upon a news report previously published by another Malaysian news portal, namely MalaysiaNow.
FocusM acknowledges that the allegations contained in the Article ought to have been independently verified with Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group, GR Technologies Sdn Bhd and/or the relevant authorities before publication.
We regret that this was not done and sincerely apologise for the consequences of the publication.
Our unconditional apology
FocusM wishes to make clear that we have no personal agenda, animosity or ill intention towards Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group or GR Technologies Sdn Bhd.
We sincerely, unconditionally and unreservedly apologise to Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group and GR Technologies Sdn Bhd for the publication of the Article and for the distress, embarrassment and reputational harm caused thereby.
We have since removed the Article and associated links under our control from our website and social media platforms and have undertaken not to re-publish, repeat or disseminate the statements and allegations retracted above or any substantially similar statements concerning Datuk Vinod Sekhar, the Petra Group or GR Technologies Sdn Bhd.
FocusM remains committed to responsible journalism and to maintaining appropriate standards of accuracy, fairness and verification in its reporting.
CHEAH CHOR SOOI
Executive Editor
Focus Malaysia
