3 investigated over online threats against Core Pacific City prosecutors

Taipei, July 4 (CNA) Authorities are currently investigating three individuals in connection with alleged online threats made against prosecutors involved in the Core Pacific City corruption case.

In the first case, a 39-year-old IT engineer surnamed Tai (戴), who manages the Facebook page "Meme Taiwanese Democracy (迷因台式民主)," was arrested Thursday after he posted the names and photos of 11 prosecutors working on the case.

Tai has claimed sole responsibility for publishing the information and said it was not linked to any political party.

He admitted to collecting and uploading the prosecutors' photos, but denied creating or sharing any violent or threatening content, such as digitally altered images showing blood spatters.

On Friday, prosecutors requested his detention on suspicion of intimidation and endangering public safety.

In the second case, police traced the threatening imagery to a couple in Taichung -- a 41-year-old man surnamed Chou (周) and his girlfriend surnamed Lin (林).

The two allegedly edited Tai's original posts to include violent visuals and captions such as "a life for a life" and reposted them online.

The couple was brought to Taipei for questioning on Thursday night. They are being referred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further investigation on similar suspicions.

The case attracted widespread attention after the wife of former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲), a central figure in the trial, died by suicide on Tuesday. The tragedy triggered a wave of hostility on social media directed at the prosecutorial team.

Pong was indicted in December 2024, along with former Taipei Mayor and former TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京).

The officials are accused of accepting bribes from the company to illegally increase the permissible floor area ratio of a redevelopment project, thereby raising the property's value because more space could be built and sold.