TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), former Taipei City mayor and a key figure in the Core Pacific City development corruption case, was arrested by prosecutors Saturday (Aug. 31) after refusing to continue with a nighttime interrogation.
Prosecutors cited a risk of collusion as the reason for the arrest. Ko is expected to face a detention hearing, per CNA.
An arrest warrant was also issued, but Ko and his defense lawyer exercised their right to a judicial review. The procedure is currently underway.
Taiwan People's Party (TPP), formerly chaired by Ko, said that he has cooperated with investigators after prosecutors visited his home with a search warrant at 7 a.m. Friday. Ko was questioned by the Agency Against Corruption and then transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further questioning at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, per TVBS.
The interrogation lasted until around 2 a.m. The entire process lasted nearly 19 hours.
Ko refused to continue with interrogation early Saturday morning and attempted to leave the interrogation room, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement issued Saturday. Ko refused the prosecutor’s advice to take a break before resuming questioning.
The prosecutor's office believes that Ko may have broken Article 6, paragraph 1, subparagraph 4 of the Anti-Corruption Act. This law prohibits government officials from “directly or indirectly seeking unlawful gains for oneself or for others in matters under his charge or supervision.”
There was reportedly evidence that Ko may collude with accomplices and witnesses. It was decided that if he is released without completing the interrogation, the investigation may be compromised.
The prosecutor ordered Ko's arrest on the spot in accordance with the provisions of Article 228, paragraph 4, proviso, of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He was informed of his rights.
The floor area ratio of Taipei City's Core Pacific City increased from 392% to 840% during Ko’s term of office. This led to suspicions of favoritism toward the developer.
In May, the city’s prosecutor’s office initiated a separate investigation into the matter. Ko and others were listed as defendants for the crime.
The Agency Against Corruption was instructed to gather evidence. Ko's former Taipei City Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲), city government officials, and former urban planning committee members were questioned.
The investigation revealed that Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) allegedly bribed Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) with over NT$47.4 million (US$1.5 million) to get the Core Pacific City zoning case approved. Additionally, there are unexplained funds.
On Aug. 27 and 28, prosecutors and the Agency Against Corruption detained Ying and questioned Sheen. The court approved a detention order.
The investigation revealed that in February 2020, the group asked Ying to ask Pong to submit the petition to the Urban Planning Division for review, but Pong declined. He later established a special team to address the issue at Ko's direction.
The prosecutor’s office and the Agency Against Corruption questioned the reason for the change in policy regarding Core Pacific City's request for a higher floor area ratio, which had been denied for years. The prosecutor’s office conducted a search operation Friday.
Ko and Pong were summoned as defendants and Chen and Pong's wife, surnamed Hsieh (謝), as witnesses. Chen and Hsieh were released after questioning, while Pong was interrogated overnight.
