The Taipei District Court yesterday released Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on bail of NT$30 million (US$916,870), rejecting a request by prosecutors to extend his incommunicado detention.
The request came after prosecutors on Thursday indicted Ko on charges of bribery and corruption in connection with real-estate dealings during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018 to 2022.
Ko is accused of accepting bribes of up to NT$17.1 million to help real-estate company Core Pacific Group (威京集團) illegally increase the floor area ratio of the Core Pacific City Co (京華城) redevelopment project in a bid to raise the financial value of the property.
Photo: CNA
Ko is also accused of embezzling more than NT$68 million of political donations during his campaign for this year’s presidential election and illegally using donations to a foundation, established by Ko in 2022, to pay the salaries of his campaign staff.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of 28 years, 6 months for Ko — 15 years for bribery, 5 years and 6 years for separate cases of embezzlement, and 2 years, 6 months for breach of public trust.
While the court allowed Ko to be released on bail, he is barred from changing his residence or departing the nation. He is also not permitted to have contact with defendants and witnesses who gave testimony in the case.
“Since Ko still serves as TPP chairman, he would preside over some party meetings, and has the need to engage in normal interactions at the workplace. Therefore he is permitted to have contact with other defendants and witnesses in the case, but he must not meet them in one-on-one situations, nor is he allowed to call a meeting to discuss issues pertaining to the case,” the Taipei District Court said in a statement.
Prior to Thursday’s indictment, Ko has been detained and held incommunicado since Sept. 5.
After TPP officials paid the bail, Ko walked out of the Taipei District Court at about 1pm yesterday to a crowd of cheering TPP supporters. The former Taipei mayor left in a car and returned to his Taipei residence, where reporters were awaiting his arrival.
Ko spoke briefly to the reporters.
“I thank God for giving me the chance to reflect on my life,” he said, adding that the case had not filled his heart with hatred. “I still believe in myself — I am not the kind of person to engage in illegal profiteering, corruption and unlawful activities.”
Ko at 2:30pm, accompanied by his wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), and TPP official Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠), who serves as Hsinchu interim mayor, drove to Zhubei City (竹北) to see his father, who is receiving medical treatment for cancer at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Hsinchu branch.
Taipei prosecutors said they would appeal the release and file another motion to place Ko in pretrial detention, although they would do so only after receiving the official court documents.
Prosecutors are likely to file a motion to detain Ko based on the likelihood of him destroying evidence or colluding in testimony with others in the case.
The court yesterday also released four other defendants in the Core Pacific City case — former Taipei deputy mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲), Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), founder and chairman of Core Pacific Group, and Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), finance chief of Ko’s presidential election campaign.
Pong was released on bail of NT$5 million, Ying NT$15 million, Sheen NT$40 million and Lee NT$10 million.
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