Ko Wen-je maintains innocence in Core Pacific City bribery case

Taipei, Dec. 16 (CNA) Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) maintained his innocence Tuesday during oral arguments in court over allegations that he accepted bribes in the Core Pacific City development project.

Ko presented his defense in the afternoon after Taipei prosecutors concluded their arguments, saying he was aware of the project but never "gave directions personally."

He also said he was unaware of the project's floor area ratio (FAR), which rose sharply from 560 percent to 840 percent in 2021, drawing suspicion and later triggering the investigation.

Prosecutors focused Tuesday on an entry in one of Ko's Excel files, which they said indicated an alleged NT$15 million (US$471,179) bribe from Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) between September and November 2022, coinciding with the increased FAR.

The alleged transfer, for which no direct evidence was provided, came after an earlier NT$2.1 million political donation from Sheen that was also linked to floor area changes, prosecutors said.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Ko accused prosecutors of holding "predetermined positions" against him and of "weaving a story" to frame him.

"The prosecutors could have presented evidence if they had any instead of spending two days telling a story that proved nothing," Ko said.

Ko, the founder and former chair of the opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP), was among 11 individuals indicted in December 2024 in a corruption case in which Sheen is accused of bribing him in exchange for favorable treatment during his tenure as mayor.

Prosecutors said Sheen repeatedly lobbied the Taipei City government from 2010-2018 with little success, but after 2020 Ko approved nearly all of Sheen's requests, including changes to detailed development plans and FAR.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 28.5 years in the case for allegedly accepting NT$17.1 million in bribes related to the project and for embezzling political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign as TPP leader.