TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was granted temporary leave from detention early Sunday morning to visit his ailing father at a hospital in Hsinchu.

Ko was escorted by police from a detention facility in New Taipei’s Tucheng to National Taiwan University Hospital’s Hsinchu branch at around 2 a.m. to see his 92-year-old father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), who is reportedly in a coma and in rapidly deteriorating health, per UDN.

Ko was granted the visit after his younger sister submitted a critical illness notice for their father around 7 p.m. on Saturday. This marks the second time he has been permitted to see his father, following a 35-minute visit on Jan. 22, per SETN.

According to reports, supporters gathered outside both the Tucheng detention center and the Hsinchu hospital to express their backing for the former Taipei mayor. After the visit, Ko returned to the detention center at 3:22 a.m., reported CNA.

Ko has been detained since September 2024 on corruption and bribery charges. Apart from a brief release in late December 2024, he has remained in custody. The Taipei District Court has scheduled the first hearing in the Core Pacific City corruption case for March 20, per SETN.