The Prive Group removes CEO, 'strongly condemn' him after assault on 13-year-old boy

SINGAPORE — The chief executive officer of The Prive Group, who pleaded guilty on Thursday (21 October) to punching and verbally abusing a 13-year-old boy, has been removed from his role with immediate effect.

The food-and-beverage company confirmed in a Facebook post on Friday morning that Vu Han Jean-Luc Kha, 44, will no longer be its CEO.

"We strongly condemn his actions and all acts of violence and would like to reassure the public that his personal actions do not in any way reflect our core values," it said.

"We are glad that he is currently seeking the necessary treatments for his mental health and believe that the Singapore justice system will deal out the necessary punishment."

Original statement: CEO still 'taking care of the group'

Vu Han had hurled profanities and asked lewd questions of a 13-year-old boy in a mall lift while intoxicated in 2019, and even punched and slapped the teenager without provocation.

On Thursday, The Prive Group had said Vu Han was still the company's CEO and was "actively taking care of the group and helping us stay afloat amidst the ongoing COVID restrictions".

According to its statement, "Mr Vu Han Jean-Luc Kha remains a valuable member of our management team and has our full and unwavering support. The case is still ongoing and we have been advised not to comment on the case."

But in Friday's Facebook post, the company backtracked on its original statement, saying, "We sincerely apologise if any our statements has been misconstrued as condoning his actions as we do not support violence in any way. We also encourage those who suspect they might have mental health issues to seek help early.

"Thank you for your understanding and we hope that we can become a better company through this."

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