Timeline of Core Pacific City corruption case involving ex-Taipei mayor

Taipei, Nov. 1 (CNA) An anti-corruption probe that has embroiled former Taipei mayor and incumbent Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), took another turn Friday when a court ruled that Ko be held in investigative detention for another 60 days.

Here is a timeline of how this complex investigation has unfolded over the past few months.

New: Timeline of Core Pacific City corruption case involving ex-Taipei mayor (up to Dec. 26)

April 21, 2024: Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) says the city government's Department of Government Ethics is investigating two real estate cases from Ko's second term as the mayor of the capital city of Taiwan between 2018 and 2022.

April 24: The Taipei City Council decides to launch an investigation into possible corruption relating to the Core Pacific Group obtaining an unusually high floor area ratio (FAR) -- a building's floor space relative to the size of the lot it is built on -- for a site in Songshan District from the city government led by Ko.

May 2: The Taipei District Prosecutors Office states it has listed Ko as a suspect in an investigation of potential violations of the Anti-Corruption Act led by prosecutor Lin Chun-yen (林俊言).

Aug. 12: Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) is prohibited from leaving Taiwan or changing his residence for suspected violations of the Anti-Corruption Act.

Aug. 27: The Agency Against Corruption arrests Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), a member of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT), at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after she tried to board a plane to Hong Kong.

Aug. 28: Investigators search 48 locations including the Core Pacific Group and Taipei City Council offices, as well as the residences of Ying and Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京). Prosecutors request the formal detention of Sheen, Ying, and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (吳順民).

Core Pacific Board Chairman Chen Yu-kun (陳玉坤) is released on bail of NT$12 million, the director of Ying's office Wang Tsun-kan (王尊侃) is released on bail of NT$5 million, and Ying's assistant Chen Chia-min (陳佳敏) released on bail of NT$2 million.

Aug. 29: Ko announces a three-month leave of absence from his TPP chairmanship role.

Aug. 30: Ying and Sheen are held in investigative detention in the early hours after being questioned overnight.

Ko's residence and TPP party headquarters are searched in the morning. Ko, Pong, and their respective wives are questioned by the Agency Against Corruption.

Aug. 31: Ko is arrested early Saturday morning after trying to leave the Taipei District Prosecutors Office without permission. He seeks a court ruling on the legitimacy of his arrest, which is turned down by the Taipei District Court later in the day.

Prosecutors file a request with the Taipei District Court that Ko be formally held in investigative detention for two months.

Sept. 1: Ko and Pong attend detention hearings at the Taipei District Court to determine whether prosecutors can hold them in administrative detention. Pong is taken from court to hospital after feeling unwell, but he later returns to court the same day.

Sept. 2: In the early hours of the morning, the court makes its decision. Ko is released without bail by the Taipei District Court, which cites insufficient evidence. Pong, however, is ordered detained and held incommunicado according to the law.

Shao Hsiu-pei (邵琇珮), executive secretary at the city government's Urban Planning Commission, is questioned after her residence is searched by investigators.

Sept. 3: Shao is barred from leaving the country per the law.

Sept. 4: Prosecutors successfully appeal the Taipei District Court's Sept. 2 decision that led to Ko's release without bail at the Taiwan High Court, which rules to revoke the Taipei District Court's earlier decision and orders the lower court to rule again on Ko's detention.

Sept. 5: The Taipei District Court rules that Ko be held in administrative detention for two months. Police mobilize 400 personnel to maintain order around the court during this high-profile hearing.

Sept. 6: The Taiwan High Court rejects appeals against the detentions of Pong, Sheen, Ying and Wu. This ruling can not be appealed.

Sept. 9: Ko decides not to appeal his detention.

Sept. 13: Huang Ching-mao (黃景茂), former head of Taipei's urban development department, is questioned by the Agency Against Corruption as a witness and the Taipei District Prosecutors Office as a suspect in relation to the case.

Sept. 14: Huang is released on NT$5 million (US$156,480) bail.

Sept. 27: Agency Against Corruption officers raid 29 locations in search of evidence and question multiple suspects.

Core Pacific supervisor Chang Chih-cheng (張志澄) and Core Pacific Group legal affairs manager Chen Chun-yuan (陳俊源) are released on bails of NT$2.5 million and NT$1.5 million, respectively.

Former TV news presenter Tung Chung-pai (童中白), former Core Pacific Rental Manager Hung Hsiu-feng (洪秀鳳), and supervisors Fan Ya-chi (范雅琪), Chen Hsiu-tao (陳秀桃), and Liu Chih-an (劉芷安) are all released without bail.

Sept. 28: Former Dingyue Development Corp. President Chu Yea-hu (朱亞虎), who was reported to be Sheen's close associate, and Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), director-general of Ko's office in 2015, are formally detained in investigative detention.

Oct. 22: Prosecutors petition Taipei District Court to extent Sheen's investigative detention for an additional two months.

Oct. 23: The Taipei District Court holds a hearing to determine whether Sheen's detention may be extended but rules that the decision will be made later.

Oct. 25: Prosecutors petition Taipei District Court to extend the respective investigative detentions of Ko and Pong's by an additional two months.

The Taipei District Court orders the release of Wu Shun-min on bail of NT$5 million.

Oct. 28: The Taipei District Court extends Ying's administrative detention by two months, as requested by prosecutors.

Oct. 29: The Taipei District Court extends Sheen and Pong's respective administrative detentions by two months, as requested by prosecutors.

Nov. 1: The Taipei District Court rules to extend the investigative detention of Ko for an additional two months.