Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday rejected a claim that he was involved in a sexual transaction in China a few years ago.
Political commentator Yang Hsien-hung (楊憲宏) said at a political talk show on Monday that Ko had bragged to former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) that during a visit to China someone had offered him a booklet filled with photographs of prostitutes and told him that if he wrote his hotel room number next to the photograph of the woman of his choosing, she would go to his room.
Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), was also present at the dinner in Lu’s home, reprimanded Ko for his remarks and the two had an argument, Yang said.
Photo: Cheng Ming-hsiang, Taipei Times
Asked about the remarks, Ko said Yang was not in Lu’s home when they had dinner, adding that he could not understand what story he heard and from whom.
Ko said that he has refrained from criticizing Taipei mayoral candidates until now, but he is tired of numerous smear campaigns directed at him.
An opinion poll showed that about 20 percent of voters believed the rumor that he was involved in organ trafficking in China, he added.
“It is actually very easy to verify whether the rumors are true or not, but I am wondering why my opponents are so delighted to do it,” he said, adding that Yang’s claim was particularly “low-class.”
Chen on wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday evening that someone was trying to frame a man with an IQ of 157 — indicating Ko — of bragging about engaging in a sexual transaction in front of his wife of 22 years and other important political figures, but the person who made up the slanderous remark was not even at the scene and that the mudslinging tactic was not so clever.
Separately, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayoral candidate Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) yesterday criticized Ko for introducing the oBikes bike-sharing system to the city and causing traffic chaos with misplaced and abandoned bikes.
A large number of bikes had to be removed, due to poor management, Ting said.
He said he would ban the company from operating in the city if he is elected mayor.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Pasuya Yao (姚文智) also lashed out at Ko’s management of oBikes, which have allegedly caused National Taiwan University campus to be overrun with the shared bicycles.
When a new business model emerges in Taipei, policies should be formulated with vision to work out the best way for the city, Yao said at a campaign event.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
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