BEIJING - A reporter from China Central Television (CCTV), who reported that a well-known furniture company deceived consumers about the origin of its high-end products, has dismissed claims that he fabricated false reports and extorted 1 million yuan ($150,000) from the company. 

"I'm responsible for the authenticity of my investigative reports," the reporter Li Wenxue said in a statement posted on the website of China Network Television on Sunday.

"It's slander that Doris Phua (general manager of Da Vinci) gave me 1 million yuan," Li said.

Li was responding to a claim by the furniture company Da Vinci that it paid him 1 million yuan ($150,000) to calm the public anger that erupted following his report in July, which alleged that the company's high-end furniture, which it claimed was made in Italy, was actually manufactured in a factory in Guangdong province, shipped to Italy, then transported back to China. 

Huang Zhixin, a spokesman for Da Vinci, said on Saturday that the company believed Li had deliberately fabricated false reports and collaborated with others to extort money from the company and that they had reported the case to the police and the General Administration of Press and Publication and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in December.

An official investigation into the origin of Da Vinci furniture in August 2011, found that all the required customs materials were in order and cleared the company of lying. 

Li's allegation that the real manufacturer of Da Vinci furniture was the Dongguan Changfeng Furniture Co was denied, immediately after the report first aired, by Huang Wencong, the general manager and legal representative of the company, who described the reports as "pure rumor and a serious defamation of the company", as the company had never supplied furniture products to Da Vinci.

"Our company began manufacturing furniture at the beginning of 2010, and only has about 100 employees during the past two-year development. How can it be possible that we have the capacity to produce furniture worth 50 million yuan (as CCTV reported) for Da Vinci?" asked Huang in a video clip posted on Sina.com, a major news portal in China.

Li declined requests for an interview on Monday.

CCTV has yet to respond to Da Vinci's accusations.

Guangzhou Jia Yu medical equipment Limited