Former presidential candidate and Taiwan People’s Party founder Ko Wen-je was indicted on corruption charges by prosecutors in Taiwan on Thursday, accused of accepting bribes during his tenure as mayor of Taipei, the island’s capital.
Ko, a former mayor of Taipei, allegedly received bribes in connection with a real estate development project while in office, as outlined in the prosecutors’ statement. Additionally, he is accused of misappropriating political donations. If found guilty on all counts, Ko could potentially face up to 28.5 years in prison.
Central to the allegations is a development managed by the Core Pacific City group in Taipei. Prosecutors claim that Ko permitted the company to circumvent city building regulations in exchange for illicit payments.
Lead prosecutor Kao Yi-shu asserted, “The defendant, Ko, violated his commitment as mayor to reject bribes and uphold our nation’s laws. Instead, Ko purportedly sought to secure unlawful gains worth billions of dollars for the group, while pocketing millions in bribes,” during the presentation of charges on Thursday.
Ko has consistently refuted the accusations of bribery and corruption. A former medical professional, Ko entered the political arena triumphantly, clinching victory in Taipei’s mayoral election in 2014. He then served two terms from 2014 to 2022.
In 2019, Ko established the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) as an alternative to the prevailing two-party system, pledging a departure from conventional politics. He contested the presidential election this year, finishing in third place but garnering attention for his appeal to younger voters. Taiwan’s political landscape is largely dominated by the Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang) and the Democratic Progressive Party.
Although the Taiwan People’s Party is relatively modest in size, it aligns with the Kuomingtang in Taiwan’s legislature and recently aided in the passage of three laws that critics contend have constrained the Constitutional Court and could undermine President Lai Ching-te’s ability to advance his political agenda.
