Place of residence restriction on ex-Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je lifted

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) The Taipei District Court on Tuesday granted a request from former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to lift a restriction on his place of residence while he remains under investigation in a corruption case.

The restriction had required him to reside at his current address so that he could report to authorities at designated times and receive court documents.

During the hearing on his suspected involvement in breach of trust and embezzling political donations that day, the former Taiwan People's Party (TPP) chairman maintained his innocence.

He restated that prosecutors "weaved a story," pieced together far-fetched reasons to detain him, and teamed up with certain media outlets to serve "political operatives."

The Control Yuan also "collaborated closely" with the prosecution, fining him NT$2.4 million (US$76,259) and confiscating his political donations, he said.

Ko said that he had shown restraint during his one year of detention, with his family and friends being more angry than he was.

He said his main grievance was that too many people had been drawn into the case, leaving members of the TPP feeling unsafe.

He said his former classmate Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) was detained for 11 months for replying to a text message and Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing's (沈慶京) company was "effectively finished."

He also said that the bank accounts and cash flows of his family members and relatives were investigated, and former Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) confessed without knowing what he had done wrong.

Ko was indicted in December 2024 on suspicion of accepting NT$17.1 million in bribes during his tenure as Taipei mayor and embezzling political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign. Prosecutors are seeking a total sentence of 28.5 years.

Lee was the finance chief of Ko's presidential campaign, while Sheen was implicated for bribing the Taipei City Government over a property development project.

After being released on NT$70 million bail in September, Ko was not allowed to change his place of residence and was barred from leaving the country. He was also required to wear an ankle monitor and carry a government-issued mobile phone to monitor his whereabouts.

His lawyers on Tuesday requested the lifting of the residence restriction to allow him to stay with his elderly mother in Hsinchu.

He also cited commitments to attend events across the country during the holiday season, noting that the court proceedings were not expected to conclude beforehand, making daily trips to Taipei difficult.

Ko said he was already subject to digital surveillance and had appeared in court on time without any violations over the past three months.

He added that, given the high level of media attention surrounding his schedule, there was no risk of him fleeing.

Taking into account the stage of the court proceedings, the grounds for his request, and the principle of proportionality, the court granted the request.