Verdict in trial of former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je set for March 26

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The verdict in the trial of former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen‑je (柯文哲) on allegations of accepting bribes in the Core Pacific City development project and the misuse of political donations will be handed down on March 26 next year, a Taipei judge said Wednesday.

The chief justice of the panel at Taipei District Court announced that the ruling in the consolidated case involving Ko and 10 other suspects will be delivered at 2:30 p.m. on March 26 next year, following the end of oral arguments on Wednesday.

Ko was detained on Sept. 5, 2024 and indicted in December that year on four charges, including accepting NT$17.1 million (US$ 541,191) in bribes relating to the Core Pacific City development project while serving as Taipei mayor, and embezzling political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Prosecutors are seeking a total sentence of 28.5 years for Ko.

In the Core Pacific City development project case, Ko is accused of receiving bribes from Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) in exchange for granting a massive, illegal increase in the project's floor-area ratio (FAR).

During the hearing on his suspected involvement in the Core Pacific City project, the former Taiwan People's Party chairman said that he only knew the project was submitted for review by relevant city government agencies and took no further part in it.

Ko rejected the prosecutors' "official-business collusion" allegations, saying their attempts to slander and frame him have harmed civil servants, leaving them hesitant to act for fear of being accused of favoritism.

After the hearing, Ko told reporters that he has endured huge suffering throughout the case.

He was released in September 2025 after posting NT$70 million bail, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention.

Ko said that the judiciary must never become a tool for political gain, noting that Taiwan's judicial system is in desperate need of reform.

Although there has been no live broadcast of the trial hearings, recordings were made and will eventually be made public; this will provide the public with a better opportunity to understand the full context and history of the case in the future, Ko said.

Prosecutors told the court that Ko had shown a poor attitude following the alleged crimes.

They said he repeatedly used profanity to insult prosecutors during the trial and threw objects at them, while also using social media to distort trial proceedings and witness testimony and to attack prosecutors, judges and witnesses.

Prosecutors added that Ko allowed his supporters to pressure the judiciary, including by surrounding the District Prosecutors Office and issuing online threats.

Ko's conduct demonstrated a lack of respect for the judiciary and placed prosecutors as well as district and high court judges under intense pressure, prosecutors said, asking that the court sentence him to 28.5 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), another suspect, expressed hope that the trial will clear her name.

Ying was also indicted for receiving NT$52.5 million in three installments from Sheen to facilitate an increase in the floor-area ratio for the project.