Taiwan Presidential Contender Faces Corruption Charges
Former presidential candidate and founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), Ko Wen-je, was indicted on corruption charges by Taiwan prosecutors on Thursday.
Ko, who previously served as the mayor of Taipei, is accused of accepting bribes during his time in office. The charges allege that he embezzled political donations and took bribes in connection with a real estate development project in the capital city.
The most significant aspect of the case centers on a development owned by the Core Pacific City group. Prosecutors claim that Ko allowed the company to bypass city building regulations in exchange for bribes.
“The defendant, Ko, broke his pledge as mayor to reject bribes and uphold the law. Instead, he aimed to help the group gain billions in illegal profits while pocketing millions in kickbacks,” said lead prosecutor Kao Yi-shu during the announcement of the charges.
While Ko was unavailable for comment, he has previously denied the bribery and corruption accusations. His political party, the TPP, maintains that the charges are politically motivated.
“This abuse of power has turned the government into a political bully,” said Lin Fu-nan, a member of the TPP’s central committee. “We call on the forces behind this political manipulation not to interfere with the judiciary.”
Ko, a former doctor, first entered politics in 2014, winning the mayoral race in Taipei. He served two terms from 2014 to 2022. In 2019, he founded the TPP, aiming to provide an alternative to Taiwan’s traditional two-party system, promising a departure from conventional politics.
This year, Ko ran for president but finished third, garnering significant attention for his appeal to younger voters.
Taiwan’s political landscape is predominantly controlled by two major parties: the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Democratic Progressive Party.
