The former mayor of Taipei, Ko Wen-je, has been charged with bribery and several other corruption offenses by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO). The charges relate to the Core Pacific City redevelopment project, a major real estate development initiative in Taipei. Prosecutors are pursuing a prison sentence of 28 years and six months for Ko, who also leads the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP).
Allegations against Ko center on bribes exceeding $500,000, allegedly accepted during his term as mayor from 2018 to 2022, and the embezzlement of $2 million in political donations. These funds were reportedly used to pay campaign staff salaries during the 2024 presidential election, in which Ko was a candidate. Taipei’s District Chief Prosecutor Kao Yi-shu highlighted the severity of the infractions, citing Ko’s violation of his oath of office and Taiwanese law.
The requested sentence includes penalties under Article 5 of the Anti-Corruption Act and Article 336 of Taiwan’s criminal code. These include 15 years for bribery, five years and six years for two embezzlement cases, and additional years for breaches of public trust.
The TPP has responded to the indictment by asserting that the charges are politically motivated, arguing that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims against Ko. The party describes the proposed sentence as rooted in “fabricated charges.”
Ko Wen-je, who founded the TPP in 2019 following his tenure as Taipei’s mayor, lost the 2024 presidential election to Lai Ching-te. His indictment surfaces months after his August arrest related to the project. Although initially detained, Ko was released shortly afterward due to insufficient evidence that he knowingly violated the law or benefitted from the project.