TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei District Court (台北地院) ruled Friday (Sept. 5) to release Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), former chairman of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨), Taiwan's third-largest political party, and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) from detention. The court set bail at NT$70 million (around US$2.3 million) for Ko and NT$30 million (around US$984,000) for Ying. An eight-month travel restriction was also imposed on both political figures.
Authorities detained Ko and Ying for over a year due to their alleged involvement in the Core Pacific City corruption case, a major political scandal in Taiwan. The court convened a hearing Thursday (Sept. 4) to decide on extending their detention or releasing them on bail as their detention period was set to expire on Oct. 1. The court's decision to release them followed this critical hearing.
The court ordered Ko and Ying to remain at their respective residences and avoid contact with co-defendants and witnesses upon release. This restriction aims to prevent any interference in the ongoing legal proceedings related to the corruption case. The court mandated electronic monitoring to ensure compliance, requiring both defendants to wear electronic ankle bracelets and carry case-specific mobile phones. ◼ (At time of reporting, US$1 equals approximately NT$30.5)
>>Legal proceedings discussed in this article remain ongoing; all individuals mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
