TPP leader Ko Wen-je detained incommunicado in anti-corruption case (update)

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The Taipei District Court ruled on Thursday that Taiwan People's Party (TPP) leader Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption dating back to his tenure as mayor of Taipei.

The ruling reversed an earlier decision by the same court on Monday morning that ordered the release of Ko without bail.

However, after prosecutors appealed the decision on Wednesday citing additional evidence, the High Court concluded that Ko had been "actively involved" in the alleged corruption, ruling that the district court should hold a second detention hearing for the former Taipei mayor.

Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the court at around 9:10 a.m. to attend a procedural meeting between the prosecution and defense scheduled for 9:30 a.m.

After this meeting concluded around 10:00 a.m., the detention hearing was scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.

Police said they had mobilized 400 personnel to maintain order around the district court on Bo'ai Road in Taipei's Zhongzheng District and would expel protesters if they held signs or shouted slogans.

The court released its verdict ordering Ko's detention around 5:20 p.m. Ko can appeal the ruling.

"It is regrettable that the court made such a decision," said TPP lawmaker Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) on Facebook shortly after the verdict. "But we will continue to support Chairman Ko in continuing to defend his innocence in accordance with the law."

A statement posted later on the TPP's Facebook page said Ko had been "unfairly treated" by the court and questioned why Monday's decision to release him without bail had been reversed.

"The TPP will resolutely support Chairman Ko in defending his innocence," the party said.

Following the court's decision, the TPP leader was seen at 5:50 p.m. entering a vehicle in handcuffs before being driven to Taipei Detention Center in Tucheng District.

In accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure, Ko may be lawfully detained for up to four months while prosecutors continue their investigation.

Prosecutors allege that Ko was involved in corrupt real-estate dealings that violated the Anti-Corruption Act during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018 to 2022.

Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) allegedly gave Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) more than NT$47.40 million (US$1.48 million) as part of his company's effort to illegally lobby the Taipei City government to increase the floor area ratio (FAR) of Core Pacific City, a shopping mall in Songshan District, in order to raise the property's financial value.

Prosecutors believe Ying acted as a go-between between Sheen and high-ranking city officials including former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲). They also suspect Ko was involved in the alleged illegal activity, though Ko denied this.

The Taipei District Court ruled on Thursday that Ko "clearly knew" that raising the FAR of the Core Pacific City property was illegal, yet he "insisted" that it happen.

The court said that Ko's case formally meets the requirements for the crime of knowingly "seeking unlawful gains for oneself or for others" as stipulated in Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Act.

Due to the severity of the crime and the scale of the alleged financial gains involved in the case, the court ruled that it was necessary and in the public interest to detain Ko and hold him incommunicado, since the risk of him colluding with others or destroying evidence was judged to be sufficiently strong.

Ko joins Ying, Sheen, Pong and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (吳順民), who are all detained and being held incommunicado as suspects in the ongoing investigation.

According to the Anti-Corruption Act, taking bribes that undermine official duties can be punishable by a prison sentence of no less than 10 years, while "directly or indirectly seeking unlawful gains for oneself or others" can result in a prison sentence of no less than five years.

A conviction under the Act would be a major setback for the TPP, Taiwan's third-largest political party. As the presidential candidate for the party, Ko won 26 percent of the vote in the January election.

Ko and the TPP are currently also facing a separate criminal investigation relating to campaign finance reporting discrepancies dating back to January's election.