Ex-Taipei deputy mayor banned from leaving Taiwan over alleged corruption

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) has been prohibited from leaving Taiwan and changing his residence due to his suspected involvement in corruption cases related to Taipei's Core Pacific City Mall and Beitou Shilin Technology Park redevelopment projects, prosecutors said Monday.

Taipei prosecutors summoned Pong earlier that day over his suspected involvement in the projects during former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je's (柯文哲) tenure. They said they believed Pong was involved in misusing public power to help line businesses' pockets in violation of the Anti-Corruption Act.

However, it was decided there was no need to detain him after questioning.

Suspicions were raised over the then-city government's alleged favoritism toward developers during Ko's tenure as mayor when it allowed the Core Pacific City Mall to increase its floor area ratio (FAR) from 392 percent to 840 percent.

FAR is a measurement of the total floor area of a building relative to the size of the land it occupies.

The significant floor area ratio increase was approved by a Taipei Urban Planning Commission meeting hosted by Pong in 2021. At that time, Pong was also the head of the commission.

Several city councilors have also raised concerns about the land lease auctions for the T17 and T18 areas in the Beitou Shilin Technology Park, questioning issues such as rental rates and suspected falsification of meeting records.

In May, Ko, who chairs the Taiwan People's Party, was listed as a suspect in the two alleged corruption cases.