TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Huang Shan-shan (黃珊珊) testified Tuesday in the graft case involving former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), clarifying her understanding of messages cited by prosecutors as evidence of an alleged NT$15 million (US$460,000) bribe.
Prosecutors allege Ko received the bribe from Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) in exchange for more favorable floor area ratio terms for Sheen’s Core Pacific development. As part of their case, they pointed to a message retrieved from a hard drive found at Ko’s residence containing the phrase “Sheen 1500,” as well as a message Ko allegedly sent to Huang stating, “Sheen has already paid,” per UDN.
Asked in court to clarify the message, Huang said she did not understand why Ko sent it to her, per Newtalk. She said the exchange might make more sense in the context of prior conversations, during which she often stressed the need to raise campaign funds, while Ko reportedly disliked asking donors for more money, viewing it as bothersome.
Huang said her reply, “understood,” was meant to acknowledge Ko’s view that the campaign should avoid pressing people for contributions. She said she had no knowledge of any financial dealings between Ko and Sheen.
She also addressed the “KP Show,” an event that predated Ko’s official campaign announcement, per ETtoday. Huang described the show as a commercial project, not a political fundraising event. Although initially designated as a fundraiser, she said the team ultimately treated it as a commercial activity due to logistical issues, campaign workload, and potential complications with accepting donations from audiences outside Taiwan.
Huang said the KP Show also reflected Ko’s personal interest in hosting a concert. She recalled that the campaign team joked about the high ticket prices, comparing them to those charged by major performers.
She noted political candidates can legally earn income through other means, such as book sales, to cover campaign costs. Prosecutors, however, argued that merchandise sales and the KP Show reflected fundraising activity, pointing to the ticket pricing as part of their argument.
After the hearing, Huang criticized what she called unprofessional speculation by prosecutors, per Storm Media. A post on Ko’s official Facebook page claimed prosecutors were attempting to obtain internal Taiwan People’s Party information unrelated to the case.
