The chairman of the People’s Party, former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, appeared in court at the Northern District Court on the morning of the 5th in relation to the Jinghua City case. Ko Wen-je arrived at the Northern District Court at 9:10 am without making any statement to the media before entering the courtroom.
Ko Wen-je is implicated in the Jinghua City case and was remanded in custody after the Taipei District Court previously ruled against his release on bail. Following the prosecutor’s appeal, the Taiwan High Court issued a remand on the 4th. The Northern District Court will formally convene the detention hearing, first dealing with procedural matters before the official detention hearing. Police presence and road closures were set up near the Northern District Court early in the morning with a large number of officers and police vehicles on standby. Ko Wen-je arrived at the Northern District Court and entered the courtroom at 9:10 am.
To maintain order at the scene, according to Chen Yu-jian, the inspector of the Zhongzheng First Police Substation of the Taipei City Police Department, the police department deployed 400 officers from three substations near Bo’ai Road to ensure security.
Chen stated that the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office falls under the jurisdiction of the area where assembly and parade activities are restricted by law. Without approval from the competent authority in the restricted area, no assembly can be applied for in accordance with regulations. Police issued control notices for nearby roads, and if any individuals engage in disruptive behavior, such as shouting, causing disturbances, or holding signs outside the Northern District Court, the police will exercise their authority to disperse them.