District court again grants bail to ex-Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (update)

Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) The Taipei District Court on Monday again approved bail for former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), keeping their original bails of NT$70 million (US$2.32 million) and NT$30 million, respectively.

The ruling follows a decision by the Taiwan High Court on Friday to overturn an earlier district court order granting bail to Ko and Ying on the conditions that they wear an electronic tracking device and remain in Taiwan.

They were also barred from contacting, harassing, threatening or asking for information from other defendants or witnesses in the case, the court said.

Ko, who had been detained incommunicado since September in 2024 until Sept. 8 when he was released on NT$70 million bail, maintains that he is innocent and that the corruption charges against him are politically motivated.

Ying, who has been indicted in connection with Ko's case, was released on NT$30 million bail on Sept. 5.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office appealed the bail orders on Sept. 9, arguing that key witnesses had not yet completed their testimony and that Ko had contacted witnesses Chen Chih-han (陳智菡) and Chen You-cheng (陳宥丞) after posting bail on Sept. 8.

The Taiwan High Court found the prosecutors' appeal justified on Friday, revoked the earlier bail ruling, and sent the case back to the lower court to reconsider its original decision.

In its ruling Monday, the district court said that while some witnesses have yet to appear in court, they have testified under oath during the investigation and defense attorneys did not dispute that the testimony would be admissible as evidence during the trial.

The district court said the existing court documents will allow prosecutors and defendants' lawyers to make their cases at the upcoming hearings, and it therefore decided to once again grant Ko and Ying bail and impose restrictions on their movements.

In addition, the court said, the large amount of bail set will impose psychological pressure and restrictions on Ko and Ying that will serve as a substitute to detention to ensure that the upcoming hearings proceed smoothly.

Prosecutors said they will await the official court document on Monday's ruling to study whether or not to appeal the latest lower court ruling.

Ko founded the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) in August 2019 and served as chairman of the party until January, when he resigned amid corruption accusations.

In response to the district court ruling, the TPP said that based on the principle of presumption of innocence, Ko's constitutionally protected personal freedom and freedom of communication should not be restricted.

The TPP said that as Ko has been suffering physically and mentally, the party will continue to support him through the legal process and stand by him and his family to defend his innocence.

Ko and Ying are currently on trial for corruption and other offenses, in what is known locally as the "Core Pacific City case."

Ko and Ying were among 11 individuals indicted in December 2024 over a corruption case in which Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) is alleged to have bribed Ko for favorable treatment during the latter's tenure as mayor.

Ko faces a potential sentence of 28.5 years for allegedly accepting bribes of NT$17.1 million in a property development deal during his tenure as Taipei mayor and embezzling political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign as leader of the TPP.