Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday denied any wrongdoing and accused the ruling party of political reprisal at a news conference following a ruling sentencing the former Taipei mayor to 17 years in prison for corruption and misusing political donations.
“I will not surrender. [President] William Lai (賴清德), I will not yield,” he said while flanked by TPP officials.
Ko said that the case was political suppression rather than impartial law enforcement, adding that prosecutors cited NT$2.1 million (US$65,820) in alleged bribes that he said he was unaware of.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
“You can remove one Ko Wen-je, but there are millions of ‘little grasses’ (小草),” he said, referring to his young supporters.
Online commentators said that the case was first raised by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chung Hsiao-ping (鍾小平), questioning Ko’s claims of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) “oppression.”
TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said that a “national mobilization order” would be issued this morning, calling on TPP supporters to gather on Ketagalan Boulevard on Sunday afternoon to demand justice.
Huang said he believed the court was determined to achieve the goal of handing down a prison sentence of more than 10 years, which restricts Ko from holding office.
The TPP is fighting not only for Ko’s innocence, but also to save a judicial system that has been reduced to a tool for the DPP’s “green authoritarianism,” he said.
The KMT in a statement said that the public has reason to question whether judicial rulings could influence the political fate of opposition leaders, and expressed support for Ko’s right to pursue legal remedy.
Judicial decisions must uphold the principle of separation of powers and protect political rights, the party said, adding that inconsistent case handling risks undermining public trust.
The KMT said investigations involving opposition figures often appear to proceed more swiftly than other controversial cases and warned against the judiciary being used to settle political disputes or weaken opposition parties.
The DPP in a statement said that it respects judicial independence and would not comment on individual cases.
Separately, DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said that if the TPP wishes to survive, it should respect the judiciary and admit its mistakes.
Huang dragging the entire party along in a campaign to smear the judicial system would only accelerate the party’s demise, she said.
This is also a moment of decision for the KMT — if the party continues to stand with a corrupt politician merely to preserve its alliance with the TPP and oppose the DPP, it would likely end up going down with the ship, she added.
DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said that Ko’s disqualification from running for president could have a significant impact on Taiwan’s political landscape.
He said the ruling could affect cooperation between the TPP and the KMT, particularly in the buildup to November’s local elections, as support for a joint effort might become uncertain.
Differences between the two parties are more likely to emerge at the local level, although legislative cooperation would continue, as the KMT needs the TPP’s eight seats to form a majority, Lin said.
Additional reporting by Lin Che-yuan, Chen Cheng-yu and Lee Wen-hsin
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS