Court orders release of Ko Wen-je after indictment

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) The Taipei District Court on Friday morning rejected a request from prosecutors to extend the incommunicado detention of Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

The decision came after Ko was indicted on charges of bribery and other forms of corruption on Thursday with prosecutors seeking a total sentence of 28.5 years for the former Taipei mayor.

According to Friday's ruling, Ko will be released on bail of NT$30 million (US$917,431) and be barred from changing his residence and going abroad.

Ko has been held incommunicado since Sept. 5. His detention was extended in October over allegations of bribery and corruption linked to real estate dealings during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018 to 2022.

He was also charged with embezzling political donations to the TPP during the 2024 presidential election.

The court also rejected prosecutors' requests to detain other defendants in the case, including former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲); Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇); Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), finance chief of Ko's 2024 election campaign office; and Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), founder and chairman of the real estate conglomerate Core Pacific Group.

Pong will be released on bail of NT$5 million and Ying on bail of NT$15 million. Lee will be released on bail of NT$10 million, and Sheen on bail of NT$40 million, the court said.

According to the court, they will also be prohibited from changing residence and leaving the country.

While prosecutors said Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜), another defendant, who served as a close aide to Ko, had fled overseas, they failed to established clear evidence to show she was involved in the case.

Prosecutors noted that as related witnesses have been summoned for questioning, the risk of the investigations being undermined was low.

On Thursday, the TTP condemned Ko's indictment, accusing the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of political persecution and attempting to silence the 3.69 million Taiwanese citizens who voted for Ko in the 2024 presidential election.

Update

Dec. 27: TPP Chairman Ko upbeat after release from investigative detention