The Taipei District Court today approved an extended detention for Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), while the Taiwan High Court rejected real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing's (沈慶京) appeal to have his detention ended.
The two are in custody as part of an alleged corruption case involving a redevelopment project in Taipei that has embroiled Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Photo: CNA
Ying, of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), is accused of acting as a go-between between Sheen and high-ranking city government officials in the construction project, including then-Taipei mayor Ko.
Sheen, founder and chairman of the Core Pacific Group, is alleged to have bribed Taipei city officials to illegally increase the floor area ratio (FAR) of a site formerly occupied by Core Pacific City to raise the property's financial value.
Ko, Sheen and Ying have all denied the allegations.
Ying is to be held incommunicado for two more months as of tomorrow, as ruled by the Taipei District Court.
The court determined that Ying could potentially tamper with evidence or collude with coconspirators, as her statements on the case differ greatly from other witnesses and suspects, and other witnesses and potential accomplices have yet to be tracked down.
She also poses a flight risk, as she has the means to flee abroad for an extended period of time, the court said.
After being detained on Aug. 29, Sheen has been taken out of prison for medical treatment three times, being hospitalized the last time on Oct. 1 and taken back into custody on Oct. 15.
Sheen's attorney applied for a suspension of his detention, citing his poor health.
The request was rejected by the Taipei District Court, which said the hospital's report on Sheen's health condition did not markedly differ from previous ones and did not indicate a need for him to receive long-term specific medical care.
Sheen then appealed the ruling to the High Court.
In the second instance, the High Court rejected the appeal, saying the ruling in the first instance was clear in its statement, and in line with rules of experience and logic.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS