Key developments in cases involving ex-Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) A series of corruption and political finance cases involving former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) have unfolded since 2024, drawing intense public and legal scrutiny and culminating in a high-profile court ruling on Thursday.

• Ex-Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je sentenced to 17 years for bribery, corruption

Below are key developments in the major cases involving Ko, tracing the investigations, detentions, court proceedings and verdict that have shaped his legal and political trajectory.

2024

May 2

Ko Wen-je, former Taipei mayor and former leader of the opposition Taiwan People's Party, was listed as a suspect in alleged corruption cases involving the city's Core Pacific City development project and the Beitou Shilin Technology Park project.

Aug. 12

Taipei prosecutors opened a separate investigation into Ko's political donations.

Aug. 14

Prosecutors searched the office of MuKo Public Relations Marketing Ltd., a company linked to Ko, over alleged misuse of political expenses during the 2024 presidential election. Six individuals, including Ko's campaign finance chief Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), were brought in for questioning.

Aug. 27

Prosecutors detained KMT Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) as she allegedly attempted to leave the country.

Aug. 28-30

Prosecutors searched locations linked to the Core Pacific Group and questioned Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京). The Taipei District Court ordered Sheen, Ying and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (吳順民) to be detained incommunicado.

Aug. 30-31

Authorities searched Ko's residence and questioned Ko and former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲). Prosecutors later requested that both be detained incommunicado.

Sept. 2

Pong was detained incommunicado.

Sept. 5

Ko was detained incommunicado.

Sept. 27-28

Lee Wen-tsung and former Dingyue Development Corp. President Chu Yea-hu (朱亞虎) were detained incommunicado. Prosecutors said Chu acted as a middleman for Sheen in lobbying city officials to raise the floor area ratio of the Core Pacific City project in 2020.

Oct. 25

Prosecutors sought to extend Ko's detention and issued an arrest warrant for his secretary Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜). On Nov. 1, the court approved the extension. Ko did not appeal.

Nov. 6

The Taipei District Court approved the seizure of Core Pacific City land, prohibiting its disposal during the seizure period.

Nov. 14

Authorities seized accounts linked to MuKo. Prosecutors alleged that Ko and Lee embezzled political donations through the company and obtained court approval to freeze NT$38.83 million in related funds.

Nov. 22

Chu was released on bail of NT$2 million.

Dec. 26

Ko and 10 others were indicted on charges of bribery, embezzlement and breach of public trust in connection with the Core Pacific City and political donation cases. Prosecutors sought a total sentence of 28.5 years for Ko.

Dec. 27

The Taipei District Court ordered Ko and four other defendants released on bail ranging from NT$5 million to NT$40 million. All were barred from leaving Taiwan.

Dec. 29

Prosecutors appealed the bail ruling, except in the case of Pong Cheng-sheng. The Taiwan High Court rescinded the decision, prompting the lower court to raise the bail amounts.

2025

Jan. 2

The Taipei District Court reversed course and ordered Ko and three other defendants -- Sheen Ching-jing, Lee Wen-tsung and Ying Hsiao-wei -- to be detained incommunicado.

Jan. 23

The court held its first preparatory hearing. Pong and former Taipei Urban Planning Commission executive secretary Shao Hsiu-pei (邵琇珮) pleaded guilty, while Lee denied wrongdoing.

March 4

The court questioned Ying, who denied accepting bribes.

March 20

Ko appeared in court for the first time. He said accounting practices were "messy" but denied any intent to embezzle and said he would not flee or collude with others.

July 21

The court granted bail to Sheen and Lee.

Sept. 5

The court granted bail to Ko and Ying.

Sept. 12

The High Court overturned the bail ruling and remanded the case for reconsideration.

Sept. 15

The lower court upheld the original bail terms.

Dec. 2

Ko requested that both the oral arguments and the ruling in his case be broadcast live, but the court allowed only a delayed release of the ruling, to be made public within five days of its announcement.

Dec. 24

Oral arguments concluded. The presiding judge said a verdict would be delivered on March 26.

2026

March 17

The Taipei District Court rejected Ko's request to temporarily lift his travel ban to attend his son's graduation in Japan.

March 26

The Taipei District Court sentenced Ko to 17 years in prison on bribery and corruption charges. Eight other defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 1 year to 15 years and 6 months, while two -- Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min and Core Pacific supervisor Chang Chih-cheng (張志澄) -- were found not guilty. The ruling can be appealed. 

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