The Taipei District Court yesterday rejected a request by former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) for a short exemption from his travel ban to attend his son’s graduation ceremony in Japan, deeming the trip unnecessary.
The court noted in its ruling that Ko’s presence is not essential for the graduation to take place and that his absence would not prevent his son from successfully obtaining his degree.
Through his lawyer, Ko last Monday filed a request with the court to allow him to visit Japan from March 23-25 to attend his son’s doctoral graduation ceremony at the University of Tokyo, a move Taipei prosecutors opposed.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Court ruled in favor of the prosecutors, stating that Ko had not provided sufficient rationale for the court to lift the travel restrictions imposed when he was released on bail in September last year, according to the court.
Ko was released from Taipei Detention Center on Sept. 8 after a year in custody on corruption-related charges linked to the Core Pacific City project and political donations.
Under the terms of his release on bail of NT$70 million (US$2.19 million), Ko must stay at a registered address, wear a device equipped with a GPS tracking system, not leave the country and not contact other defendants or witnesses involved in the trial.
After receiving Ko’s request to travel to Japan, the court sought opinions from prosecutors, who argued that Ko had not presented a concrete plan to ensure he would not flee or collude with co-defendants, according to the court.
The court’s decision can be appealed.
The Taipei District Court completed all trial proceedings in the two cases at the end of last year and is scheduled to announce its verdict on March 26.
Prosecutors are seeking a total sentence of 28 years and six months for Ko, who has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and subsequent trial.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Taiwan’s three major international carriers are increasing booking fees, with EVA Airways having already increased the charge to US$28 per flight segment from US$25, while China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines are set to follow suit. Booking fees are charged by airlines through a global distribution system (GDS) and passed on to passengers. Carriers that apply the fees include CAL, EVA, Starlux and Tigerair Taiwan. A GDS is a computerized network operated by a company that connects airlines with travel agents and ticketing platforms, allowing reservations to be made and processed in real time. Major players include Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. EVA Air began
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
When Paraguayan opposition lawmaker Leidy Galeano returned from an all-expenses-paid tour of six Chinese cities late last year, she was convinced Paraguay risked missing out on major economic gains by sticking with longtime ally Taipei over Beijing — a message that participants on the trip heard repeatedly from Chinese officials. “Everything I saw there, I wanted for my country,” said Galeano, a member of the newly-formed Yo Creo party whose senior figures have spoken favorably about China. This trip and others like it — which people familiar with the visits said were at the invitation of the Chinese consulate in Sao Paulo
RSS