Ko's bail granted after key witnesses cross-examined: Taipei court

Taipei, Sept. 5 (CNA) The Taipei District Court on Friday granted former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail, saying the decision was made after key witnesses in the Core Pacific City case had been cross-examined.

Ko and Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), who was granted NT$30 million bail by the court, must reside at a registered address, wear a GPS tracking ankle monitor and not leave the country, court spokesperson Huang Ping-chin (黃柄縉) said.

They are also barred from contacting other defendants or witnesses while on bail, Huang added.

● Ko Wen-je breaks down in court bribery hearing over bail appeal

After intensive hearings and cross-examination of witnesses in the case, Huang said, Ko and Ying are to be released, as the risk of them destroying evidence or colluding has been significantly reduced.

However, Huang did not say when the cross-examinations were completed.

Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed there is still a risk of collusion as there are additional witnesses, such as Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜), who need to be brought in for questioning.

Hsu, who was a close aide to Ko during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018-2022, has been declared wanted by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The bureau said in April that Hsu is believed to have fled overseas on Aug. 29, 2024, and could be in Japan or Australia.

Bail reason

Despite being a person of interest in the corruption case, the Taipei court said in a statement on Friday that relevant witness statements and conversation records about Hsu's involvement are already on file.

As she is currently wanted and it is uncertain whether she can be apprehended, detaining the two defendants solely on those grounds cannot be justified, the court said.

The decision to grant Ko and Ying bail can still be appealed, according to Huang.

Ko and Ying were among 11 individuals indicted in December last year over a corruption case in which Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) is alleged to have bribed Ko for favorable treatment during the latter's tenure as mayor.

The investigation into the Core Pacific City redevelopment project started amid suspicion about the sharp increase in the floor area ratio -- the total floor space of a building divided by the size of the land it sits on -- from 560 percent to 840 percent.

Ko was charged on four counts, including allegedly receiving a NT$15 million bribe from Sheen -- who was granted bail and released in July -- for which prosecutors are seeking a total prison term of 28 years and six months.

Meanwhile, Ying was indicted for allegedly receiving NT$52.5 million in three installments from Sheen to facilitate an increase in the floor-area ratio for the project, for which prosecutors are seeking a 16-year prison term and NT$50 million in fines.

Ko yet to decide

Regarding the bail, Ko's lawyers Cheng Shen-yuan (鄭深元), Lu Cheng-yi (陸正義) and Hsiao Yi-hung (蕭奕弘) issued a joint statement saying their defendant needs more time to think it over.

No further information was provided, but the lawyers said they will consult with Ko before coming to a decision about the matter on Monday.

After Friday's bail ruling, the Taiwan People's Party, which Ko founded in 2019 and chaired until January 2025, thanked the Taipei District Court for upholding judicial integrity and restoring his right to a fair trial.

Citing its Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), the party said in a statement that it respected Ko's determination to defend his innocence and understands his need for time to consider the bail decision.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said it will consider whether to file an appeal after receiving the court's written ruling.