Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) and Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), founder and chairman of the real estate conglomerate Core Pacific Group, were both released on bail this afternoon after being indicted yesterday with Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on bribery and other charges.
Ying burst into tears and denied any wrongdoing and corruption allegations as she paid her bail of NT$15 million (US$460,000) and left the court in Taipei at around 4pm.
Sheen, who was released on bail of NT$40 million earlier today, left the court in a wheelchair and was sent to the National Taiwan University Hospital for a medical check-up.
Photo: CNA
His family brought the money to pay his bail this morning.
During the detention hearing yesterday, Sheen denied bribing Ko with NT$15 million, saying he “didn’t give him a single penny.”
He said he wanted to support a third party because he was sick of the two major parties — the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Sheen said he wanted to be released on bail because he is unwell.
The Taipei District Court rejected prosecutors' requests to detain the five defendants in the case, including Ko, Ying, Sheen, former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) and Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), finance chief of Ko's 2024 presidential election campaign.
Pong and Lee were also released earlier today after paying their respective bails.
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