TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei District Prosecutor's Office plans to file an appeal as early as Monday (Sept. 2) following the Taipei District Court's decision to release former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) without bail. The court found insufficient evidence to substantiate significant criminal suspicion against Ko in the ongoing corruption investigation.
Prosecutors launched a search and interview operation on Aug. 30, targeting Ko and former Taipei Deputy Mayor Peng Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) for alleged violations of the "Anti-Corruption Act" (貪污治罪條例) related to the Core Pacific City (京華城) development project. They accused both officials of accepting bribes and profiting from their positions and sought their detention.
The court ordered Ko's release without bail at 3 a.m. Monday but detained Peng.
The court's key issue revolved around the Sept. 9, 2021, Taipei Urban Planning Commission's (TUPC, 北市都委會) decision to grant a 20% floor area bonus to the Core Pacific City project, raising the total floor area ratio from 560% to 672%. The legality of this decision, announced on Nov. 11, 2021, and the subsequent building permit issued on Oct. 18, 2022, remained in question.
The judge noted that Ko did not attend the committee meeting and lacked relevant expertise. Ko argued he relied on the committee's professional judgment and Peng's expert opinion, which the court found reasonable. The prosecutor's office will likely challenge this ruling, aiming to overturn the court's decision and pursue further legal actions.
