Journalists from Sierra Leone and Liberia who recently visited the headquarters of international lifestyle and wellness company QNET in Malaysia have shared their firsthand experiences of the company’s operations, business model and products, as the organisation reaffirmed its commitment to combating fraudulent activities carried out under its name.
The revelations were made during the QNET VCON Malaysia 2026 Media Webinar held on Thursday, 22 October 2026, bringing together journalists, company executives and communications professionals to discuss transparency, consumer protection and measures aimed at preventing the misuse of QNET’s identity across West Africa.
The virtual engagement, hosted by Amin Kef Sesay, Publisher and Managing Editor of The Calabash Newspaper, provided an opportunity for participating journalists to recount their experiences during a September 2026 visit to Malaysia, where they interacted with QNET executives, inspected the company’s facilities and attended its international VCON conference.
Addressing participants, QNET’s Regional General Manager for West and Central Africa, Cherif Sarr, reiterated the company’s zero-tolerance policy towards individuals and organisations using its name to perpetrate scams, advertise fraudulent employment opportunities, engage in coercion or facilitate illegal cross-border movement.
He disclosed that QNET had introduced a Business 2U accreditation process designed to strengthen oversight of independent distributors operating offices under the company’s business network.
According to him, the accreditation framework requires distributors to undergo verification, satisfy applicable regulatory requirements and obtain authorization before establishing independent business offices.
Cherif Sarr further revealed that between 2025 and the October 2026 briefing, QNET had terminated 141 distributor accounts for various compliance violations, including 26 accounts allegedly connected to facilitating fraudulent cross-border movement.
He added that the company had reported 158 cases to relevant authorities and assisted more than 3,000 victims in returning to their home countries or reuniting with their families.
Those figures, presented by QNET during the webinar, formed part of the company’s account of its enforcement activities and efforts to address the misuse of its name.
The Regional General Manager encouraged members of the public to report suspicious individuals and offices claiming affiliation with QNET, stressing that fraudulent activities should not be confused with the company’s authorized business operations.
He also highlighted the company’s “QNET Against Scams” campaign, launched in August 2024 to educate communities about fraudulent schemes, improve public awareness and establish reporting channels for suspected misconduct.
The initiative has been implemented in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Senegal, with plans to expand its activities to additional African countries.
Providing further clarification on the company’s operations, Marlene Keur, Head of Communications and Global Public Relations for QI Group, QNET’s parent company, explained that the company’s direct-selling business model is built around independent distributors marketing and selling products.
She emphasized that commissions are earned through product sales rather than simply recruiting individuals into the business.
Marlene Keur also drew attention to QNET’s publicly accessible compliance portal, which outlines the company’s code of conduct, distributor responsibilities and prohibited practices classified as “red line” offences.
A major highlight of the webinar was the presentation of testimonials by journalists who participated in the company’s September 2026 familiarization visit to Malaysia.
Cecilia Sesay, a television presenter at the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), described the experience as revealing and educational, explaining that it allowed her to observe QNET’s corporate environment and interact directly with its Management.
She said the visit enabled her to see the company’s headquarters, examine its products and engage with professionals responsible for its operations.
According to Cecilia Sesay, the experience challenged some of the perceptions she previously encountered about QNET, particularly claims suggesting that the company lacked a physical corporate presence or identifiable products.
She further explained that journalists were given the opportunity to ask difficult questions during a press conference with QNET executives, including concerns surrounding the alleged misuse of the company’s name and products in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Liberian journalist Blamo Toe, a reporter with Liberian Investigator, similarly described the visit as informative, highlighting several activities undertaken by the visiting media delegation.
He recounted touring QNET’s headquarters and product gallery, attending corporate briefing sessions and visiting QI University to gain additional insights into the broader QI Group’s activities.
Blamo Toe also spoke about attending the opening ceremony of VCON Malaysia 2026, which attracted thousands of independent distributors from different countries.
He particularly highlighted the press conference with QNET executives, during which journalists questioned Management about the company’s operations, business practices and allegations involving individuals misrepresenting its activities.
According to him, the executives provided detailed explanations and responded openly to the concerns raised by participating journalists.
The testimonials offered perspectives from media professionals who had directly observed the company’s facilities and interacted with its leadership. However, the journalists’ observations of QNET’s corporate operations were distinct from independent verification of every distributor’s conduct or the company’s broader compliance claims.
QNET maintained that collaboration with journalists, regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies remains central to its efforts to protect consumers and discourage individuals from exploiting its brand for fraudulent purposes.
The company explained that since 2022, it has facilitated familiarization visits for journalists and social media influencers from several African countries, allowing them to visit its Malaysian headquarters and participate in VCON, its flagship international conference.
According to QNET, the initiative is intended to provide media practitioners with direct exposure to its products, corporate structure, business model and operational challenges, enabling them to report from firsthand experience.
The company reiterated its determination to strengthen public education, enforce distributor compliance and support efforts to identify individuals involved in fraudulent activities.
The webinar concluded with renewed emphasis on responsible journalism, public vigilance and sustained cooperation between QNET, media organisations and relevant authorities to address scams and misleading representations associated with the company’s name across Sierra Leone, Liberia and the wider West African region.
