Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je was sentenced to 17 years in prison and deprived of his civil rights for 6 years by the Northern District Court today (March 26) in the corruption case involving the Jinghua City project and political donations. Following the verdict by the collegial panel, a hearing was immediately held to inquire about potential changes to Ko Wen-je’s bail conditions, technological monitoring, and other compulsory measures.
In addition, the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act stipulates that individuals with pending final sentences of death, life imprisonment, or over 10 years of imprisonment cannot register as candidates for President or Vice President.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office in Taiwan investigated the Jinghua City project and Ko Wen-je’s political donation case. On December 26, 2024, based on the Anti-Corruption Act, Ko Wen-je, Wei Ching-kyong, Chairman of the Wei Ching Group, and Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei, among others, were accused of crimes including bribery, profiteering, embezzlement of public goods, and breach of trust. The prosecution sought a total sentence of 28 years and 6 months for Ko Wen-je.
After more than a year of trial in the Taipei District Court, the collegial panel held a hearing to review potential changes to the conditions of Ko Wen-je’s bail and other compulsory measures, and to hear arguments from the prosecution and defense.
In August of the year 2024, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office initiated multiple rounds of searches and summons. Ying Hsiao-wei and Wei Ching-kyong were granted detention and were not allowed visitors in August of the same year. Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pang Chen-sheng, Ko Wen-je, and former Chief of Staff of the Taipei City Mayor’s Office Lee Wen-tsung were successively detained without visitors in September.
After the indictment by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, the case was transferred to the Northern District Court. Pang Chen-sheng’s bail was approved, and the Northern District Court twice ruled for the release on bail of Ko Wen-je and the other 4 individuals. Following a retrial by the Taiwan High Court, a ruling on January 2nd last year ordered detention without visitors for 3 months.
During the trial of Ko Wen-je and the other 4 individuals, their detention periods were extended. Subsequently, applications for house arrest were approved, restricting them to their residences and prohibiting them from leaving the country or engaging in maritime activities for 8 months. They were also required to wear electronic ankle monitors and individual case mobile phones. Ko Wen-je was released on bail for 70 million New Taiwan dollars on September 8th last year, although the decision was temporarily revoked, the bail was ultimately upheld.
During the oral arguments, the presiding judge stated that according to the Criminal Procedure Act, “defendants permitted to be released from detention during trial must be present on the day of sentencing.” Failure to appear may result in immediate detention, and Ko Wen-je, Ying Hsiao-wei, Wei Ching-kyong, and Lee Wen-tsung were instructed to appear in court in the afternoon.