TPP calls for protest to 'seek justice' for former chairman Ko

Taipei, March 28 (CNA) The opposition Taiwan People's Party (TPP) has issued a call for supporters to rally in Taipei on Sunday in protest against the guilty verdict imposed on its former chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in a corruption case that earned him a 17-year prison sentence.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the party said supporters were "angry and unable to accept" the verdict that was handed down Thursday, and as a result, incumbent TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) had launched a nationwide mobilization of protesters.

"Do not allow prosecutors and investigators to continue their abuse of power and unlawful actions to victimize political opponents in tandem with those in power," the TPP said, adding that the rally will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office.

• Ko Wen-je vows to 'not surrender,' denies guilty verdict

The opposition party accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of undermining judicial independence, alleging that the system had become a political tool.

The TPP also pledged to push for judicial reform and to "defend Ko's innocence."

Huang first proposed the rally on Thursday, shortly after the Taipei District Court handed down a guilty verdict against Ko on corruption and bribery charges and sentenced him to 17 years in prison.

Calling the verdict a "political judgment," Huang urged supporters to "seek justice," and he called on President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to address the concerns over judicial independence.

Ko, a former Taipei mayor and founder of the TPP, was convicted of bribery and other corruption-related offenses linked to the Core Pacific City development project and three additional cases.

• Ko faces 2028 presidential race ban after receiving 17-year sentence

He had pleaded not guilty in the case, which concluded in the district court Thursday and can be appealed.

On Saturday, the legislative caucus of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) voiced support for the planned rally, saying the judiciary "must not become a tool for political reckoning" and warning against what it described as selective enforcement of the law to target opposition figures.

"This is not just about any single political party, but about preventing Taiwan from sliding into the abyss of authoritarianism," the party caucus said on Facebook.