TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday (Sept. 3) asked the court to return former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to detention, citing additional evidence in the corruption charges against him.
On Monday (Sept. 2), Ko was released without bail after being interrogated by prosecutors over involvement in the Core Pacific City development case, per CNA. During Ko’s term as mayor, prosecutors said the floor area ratio of the Core Pacific City shopping center increased from 392% to 840%, leading to allegations of bribery and favoritism for the developer.
Ko was interrogated for 19 hours on Aug. 30. After refusing to continue with interrogation into the early hours of the morning on Aug. 31, Ko was arrested by prosecutors on the spot.
Prosecutors sought to prevent Ko from leaving and held him incommunicado. They argued that Ko had committed serious crimes and could destroy potential evidence if allowed to leave.
However, the Taipei District Court found the evidence provided by prosecutors insufficient to confirm Ko’s “high possibility of having committed a crime.” It said the reasons presented did not justify his extended detention.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office appealed the court’s ruling on Wednesday. Taipei District Court said that after receiving the appeal letter, it would forward it to the Taiwan High Court for review Wednesday evening.
The TPP has leveled allegations of misconduct in the Taipei District Prosecutors Office’s investigation, including improper searches, interrogation procedures, and collusion with news media, which the party said violated Ko’s privacy and was not impartial. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office responded that their investigation had been carried out per the law.