TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) made his first court appearance since undergoing surgery in early April as the Taipei District Court (台北地方法院) resumed its preparatory proceedings on Thursday (April 17). Guards from the Taipei Detention Center (台北看守所) escorted Ko on April 2 to the Ministry of Health and Welfare Taipei Hospital (衛生福利部台北醫院) for a ureteroscopic procedure to remove a 1x0.5 cm kidney stone. The former mayor was discharged the following day in a wheelchair and has since filed a motion seeking release on bail to end his detention.
Prosecutors from the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office (台北地檢署) have charged Ko under the "Anti-Corruption Act" (貪污罪條例) along with several co-defendants, including Core Pacific Group (威京集團) Chairman Shen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), a city councilor from the Kuomintang party (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's main opposition party. Ko received a sentence of 28 years and 6 months.
Investigators concluded their probe on Dec. 26, with the court ordering three months of detention for Ko and three co-defendants on Jan. 2 due to flight risk and potential evidence tampering concerns. The court extended this detention on March 28, ruling that Ko, Shen, Ying, and Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) would remain in custody without visitor privileges for two additional months beginning April 2. Loyal supporters of the former mayor have camped outside the courthouse since Wednesday night, hoping to attend the proceedings. ★
