TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), a prominent figure in Taiwanese politics and the chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), was detained by the Taipei District Court on Thursday (Sept. 5) in connection with a high-profile corruption case involving the Core Pacific City (京華城) redevelopment.
The court ruled to hold Ko incommunicado, a rare move reflecting the seriousness of the allegations.
Officials initially released Ko on Sept. 2 without bail, but the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office (TPC, 台北地檢署) successfully appealed. The High Court (高等法院) overturned the previous decision and remanded the case to the district court for a new ruling on Thursday.
The court reconvened at 2 p.m. that day and concluded the hearing by 4:30 p.m. Judge Lu Cheng-yeh (呂政燁) decided shortly after 5 p.m. to detain Ko and prohibit communication.
Prosecutors maintained a composed stance following the hearing, while Ko's defense attorney commented, "We did our best."
Facing immense pressure to secure an outcome, TPC's Head Prosecutor Chiang Chen-yu (江貞諭) led the prosecution team, accompanied by Prosecutors Lin Chun-yen (林俊言) and Kuo Chien-yu (郭建鈺). Ko's legal team included attorneys Cheng Shen-yuan (鄭深元), Lu Cheng-yi (陸正義), and Hsiao Yi-hung (蕭奕弘).
