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Ko detained amid anti-corruption investigation
Authorities are detaining Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je amid an investigation into allegations of corruption related to the Core Pacific City mall. The issue dates back to when he was mayor of Taipei.
Ko was taken to the Taipei Detention Center in New Taipei City's Tucheng District, after the Taipei District Court reversed Monday's decision that ordered his release without bail.
Prosecutors appealed the initial ruling on Wednesday citing additional evidence. This led the High Court to rule that the district court should hold a second detention hearing.
Ko didn't speak to reporters when he arrived in court to attend a procedural meeting between the prosecution and defence. The court then held the detention hearing at 14:00 on Thursday and released its verdict ordering Ko's detention some three-hours later.
According to the court, Ko "clearly knew" that raising the floor area ratio of Core Pacific City shopping mall was illegal, yet he "insisted" that it happen. The court also stated that Ko's case formally meets the requirements for the crime of knowingly "seeking unlawful gains for oneself or for others" as stipulated in Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Act. The ruling can be appealed.
TPP lawmaker Huang Shan-shan has described the decision to detain Ko as "regrettable," and stressed that the party "will continue to support Ko to defend his innocence in accordance with the law."
The party also took to social media to say Ko had been "unfairly treated" by the court and questioned why Monday's decision to release him without bail had been reversed.
