TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei District Court (台北地院) on Friday (Dec. 20) permitted Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to submit his resignation as chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 台灣民眾黨) to Secretary-General Chou Yu-hsiu (周榆修). Ko, currently in custody, faced restrictions on communication and sought the court's approval through his lawyer on Monday. The court reviewed Ko's resignation statement, determining it unrelated to the corruption allegations against him.
Officials stated the document pertains solely to party operations, posing no risk of collusion with accomplices or witness tampering. They assured that this action does not hinder the investigation's confidentiality or the detention's purpose. According to the party's constitution, only the procedure for handling a chairman's resignation is specified, not the resignation process itself.
The court noted that legally, the resignation becomes effective once the intention to resign reaches the party. Thus, Ko's request to lift the communication ban on his resignation was deemed a legitimate and effective action. The court concluded that allowing Ko to deliver his resignation to Chou grants it legal effect upon reaching the TPP. This decision does not impede the ongoing investigation, nor does it pose a threat of evidence destruction or witness collusion. The court found Ko's application justified and approved it.
