The Taipei District Court yesterday approved the seizure of NT$38.83 million (US$1.19 million) from Muko Public Relations (木可行銷公關), a company associated with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), for alleged falsified accounting and unlawful transfer of funds for personal profiteering.
Taipei prosecutors also summoned former TPP chief financial officer Liang Hsiu-chu (梁秀菊) for questioning yesterday.
She was released afterward.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was summoned on Tuesday for two questioning sessions, first in the morning by Taipei prosecutors, then in the afternoon by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB), which was investigating the party’s political donations and campaign funds money flow.
Taipei prosecutors in a release said they had filed an application to the Taipei District Court to seize Muko’s assets.
Prosecutors said they had uncovered numerous financial items that were supposed to be political donation campaign finances for Ko and the TPP, but were transferred to Muko accounts for alleged unlawful use by Ko and his family.
Set up in late 2022, Muko was located next to the TPP’s office in Taipei, and was managed by Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟), sister of Ko’s long-time friend, Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗).
The company handled donations for Ko’s presidential campaign, and earned revenue from Ko’s appearances, “concert events,” and sale of merchandise bearing the “kp” logo.
Muko is one of three private entities set up by Ko and his inner circle for receiving political contributions, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) said.
TPP officials in a statement yesterday denied that Ko had misappropriated party funds.
After errors and missing account records were uncovered earlier this year, Ko instructed party members to double-check accounting reports and clarify the party’s finances to the public during a news conference in August, it said.
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