Ko Wen-je case a judicial marathon that concerns all Taiwanese: TPP

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) The battle against the graft probe involving Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) is part of a marathon struggle to protect Taiwan's "endangered judicial integrity" and could impact every citizen in the country, Taiwan's third-largest party said Friday.

"This is about more than just Chairman Ko Wen-je's innocence as an individual; it's about whether Taiwan's legal system can still uphold integrity and justice," TPP legislative caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said at a press conference following an expanded meeting of the party's central emergency task force.

The meeting was held to gather advice from more party members and reach consensus on discussed policies during Ko's detention.

Dissatisfied with Ko's release without bail on Monday, Taipei prosecutors -- who accused Ko of involvement in corrupt real-estate dealings during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018 to 2022 --appealed the Taipei District Court's decision on Wednesday.

The High Court revoked the decision to release Ko without bail later that same day, sending the case back to the district court, which then decided to hold a second detention hearing for Ko the next day.

At Thursday's hearing, the district court ruled that the former mayor of Taiwan's capital be detained and held incommunicado, a move the TPP argued represents unfair judicial treatment "driven by political motives."

Huang, one of the task force's three coordinators, spoke on behalf of the party and said that all participants at Friday's meeting, including members of the TPP's Central Committee and Central Review Committee, unanimously support Ko in defending his innocence and reputation.

"The TPP will always stand by Ko, regardless of whether he decides to appeal the ruling or not," Huang said, adding that it was not for them to speak on Ko's behalf regarding his next steps.

The meeting also decided not to name an acting chair, Huang added. Instead, TPP Secretary-General Chou Yu-shiu (周榆修) will oversee the party's operations during Ko's detention, which could last up to four months, he said.

Throughout the press conference, Huang emphasized that Ko's case has become a matter of concern for all Taiwanese citizens, as the country is witnessing what he called a "30-year regression" of its judicial system, which is now being used as a "political tool" by the Lai Ching-te (賴清德) administration.

"The hands of Chairman Ko Wen-je, which have saved countless lives, are now being handcuffed by the new green party-state ... but this will in no way dampen Chairman Ko Wen-je's resolve," he said.

Green is the symbolic color for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), chaired by President Lai.

Huang continued that the TPP's central emergency task force will continue its work, and the party plans to launch a series of talks aimed at raising public awareness of what it calls the "unfair treatment" Ko has faced, including "collusion and leaks between prosecutors, the media, the judicial system."

The TPP is calling on the public to participate in its nationwide activities. "This is not a 100-meter sprint; it's a marathon. One person may run faster alone, but a group walks farther together," Huang said.

The first event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday outside the Legislature on Jinan Road in Taipei, Huang said, adding that it will involve all party members and take place around Taiwan "from the outdoors to the living room."

Asked to comment on the TPP's actions, DPP lawmaker Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said the talks are a tactic to manipulate populism and "make all the little grass [TPP supporters] hostages of Ko Wen-je."

She urged TPP members to recognize that while they may hold different political views, they must approach the judicial system with the same attitude.

Meanwhile, Jaw Shau-kong (趙少康), the Kuomintang (KMT) nominee for vice president in the 2024 election in January, admitted that the biggest opposition party faces a dilemma regarding Ko's case.

On the one hand, it is inconvenient for the KMT to say much about Ko's case, but it should call for a proper and just judicial procedure for Ko, he said.

As of press time, Ko had not made public whether he will appeal the detention ruling or not, and his views on the planned nationwide talks remain unknown.

However, he expressed disdain for a similar move by the DPP and the KMT about three months ago, when the two parties announced plans to launch campaigns across the island relating to proposed amendments to government oversight laws.