A former secretary of Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has been listed as a suspect in a corruption probe involving the former Taipei mayor.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that there is sufficient evidence to list Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜) as a defendant in a case involving alleged preferential treatment given to Core Pacific Group in a redevelopment project when Ko was mayor.
Hsu, who also goes by “Orange” (橘子), served as Ko’s personal secretary during his second term as mayor from 2018 to 2022.
Photo: CNA
Taipei city councilors have alleged that she served as his personal accountant, keeping track of campaign donations and accompanying Ko to nearly all of his meetings.
Just before investigators conducted searches and detained suspects in the case at the end of August, Hsu flew to Japan where she has since remained.
A local magazine also reported that Hsu had previously left the country in March just before the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption launched its probe into the Core Pacific case.
She was initially listed as a witness and after going to Japan, was reportedly in contact with the agency, which asked her to report for questioning as soon as she returns to Taiwan.
However, after uncovering more evidence about financial flows in the case, the agency said it suspects that Hsu had handled illegal funds in contravention of the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法) and other laws.
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