TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High Court agreed with a request by Taipei District Prosecutors on Friday to overturn the decision granting bail to former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

Ko was released on bail of NT$70 million (US$2.3 million) on Monday after more than a year in detention on charges of corruption related to the Core Pacific City development case. On Tuesday, prosecutors in the case appealed the Taipei District Court’s Decision because Ko may try to contact witnesses to have them alter their statements. 

The Taiwan High Court agreed with the prosecutors in a hearing on Friday and ordered the lower court to reverse its decision granting bail, reported UDN. The High Court claimed Taipei District Court’s reasoning for granting bail were inconsistent with the facts of the case and previous statements made by the court.  

In response to the High Court’s ruling, the District Court ordered Ko and his fellow defendant Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) to appear at the courthouse 9 a.m. Monday morning. The District Court has scheduled the hearing on Ko’s bail agreement to begin at 10 a.m., per UDN.

This is the second time that Taipei District Prosecutors have sought to promptly reverse a bail decision granted to Ko by the court. The last time he paid NT$70 million in bail was in late December 2024, with the Taiwan High Court reversing the decision and sending Ko back to jail within days of the decision.