The charity Mission Australia has bought 29 ABC Learning centres but none was sold for the token sum of A$1 (S$1.11) each, as an Australian news report claimed.

The Australian newspaper, citing 'industry sources', claimed that Mission Australia paid A$1 each for several of the centres it bought from the receivers PPB.

But Mission Australia spokesman Paul Andrews told The Straits Times yesterday: 'That's not the case. That's a bit of journalistic licence in The Australian a few weeks back.'

He said the 29 centres were 'bought as a collective package' and 'none of them was purchased for a dollar each'.

However, he could not disclose the purchase price due to 'commercial confidentiality'.

PPB partner Stephen Parbery, referring to the reported sale price of A$1 per centre, told The Straits Times: 'I don't think there's any truth to that.'

Asked about the news report, a Temasek spokesman said: 'We continue to monitor the situation but are not in a position to provide further comments.'

The Straits Times understands that Temasek is not involved in the sale process being handled by the receivers.

ABC Learning was the world's biggest childcare operator before it was seized by lenders last November after it was unable to clear nearly A$1 billion in debt.

Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.