TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Prosecutors summoned a SET News (三立新聞) reporter on Monday (Sept. 16) over the reporter's exclusive report on the Core Pacific City corruption scandal, which claimed that investigators found a "crucial USB drive" and led to public suspicion of leaks.
After the court session, reporter Wendy Ma (馬郁雯) and her lawyer stayed at the prosecutor's office for nearly an hour before leaving without commenting to the media.
On Sept. 8, Ma revealed on a TV show that she had exclusive details on the USB drive seized from former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Chairperson Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). Ma alleged her information came from the investigative system, raising questions about potential breaches of confidentiality.
The USB drive reportedly contained a file named "Xiao Sheen 1500 Sheen Ching-jing" (小沈1500沈慶京), the name of the Core Pacific Group chairman. The TPP explained that 1500 referred to a time, but Ma insisted it represented an amount of money.
Ma expressed full confidence in her sources, stating, "I have 200% confidence in my source, having covered the investigative beat for seven years." SET News also issued a statement, saying their reporter cooperated as a witness and respected the judicial process, refraining from further comments.