TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taipei City Department of Urban Development Commissioner Huang Ching-mao (黃景茂) was summoned Friday (Sept. 13) by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office as a witness in the Core Pacific City graft investigation, then re-designated as a defendant.

The ongoing probe is related to the floor area ratio of the Core Pacific City mall in Taipei. Huang was transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further questioning, per CNA.

After this, Huang was ordered to be released on NT$5 million (US$156,480) bail, with restrictions on leaving the country and his residence. He paid his bail at 1 a.m. on Saturday (Sept. 14).

A search and summons operation was launched late August. Prosecutors are seeking to clarify whether the surge in the floor area ratio of Core Pacific during Ko Wen-je's (柯文哲) administration as Taipei mayor involved graft.

The floor area ratio of the mall increased from 392% to 840% during Ko’s term of office. In May, the city prosecutors office initiated a separate investigation into the matter.

Several individuals, including Ko, his former Taipei City Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲), Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇), and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (吳順民), have been detained.