The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday appealed the 17-year sentence handed down to former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in March, saying the ruling had improperly excluded evidence of a NT$15 million (US$473,964) bribe allegedly received by Ko.
The office also appealed the 10-year sentence given to Core Pacific Group founder and chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) who is alleged to have been the issuer of the bribe.
Prosecutors said that the amount of bribes paid by Sheen and received by Ko totals NT$17.1 million, consisting of a NT$2.1 million bribe recognized by the court and a NT$15 million bribe recorded in an Excel file on a USB drive found in Ko’s home.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Court said that prosecutors had not provided sufficient evidence of the NT$15 million bribe.
While the court declined to consider the bribe in its sentencing of Ko and Sheen, it also did not acquit them of the charge.
In the appeal, prosecutors said the Excel file had an entry titled “Little Sheen 1500.” This file should be considered as an accounting document, and not testimonial evidence, prosecutors said.
Other supporting evidence in the appeal included a message Ko had sent to witness and former deputy Taipei mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) stating “Sheen Ching-jing has given it to me.”
Sheen asked a witness to withdraw NT$16 million for him around the time the entry was added to the Excel file, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said that the original judgement failed to recognize the NT$15 million bribe.
This failure “significantly undermined that factual basis on which the sentences were based,” resulting in sentences that might be too lenient, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said that the sentences of Ko and two others in a case involving misappropriated political donations had not given proper consideration to the damage caused to public interests, making it more serious than an ordinary misappropriation of funds.
Yesterday was the last day to appeal.
Ko, who has maintained his innocence, had not filed an appeal as of press time last night.
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