TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) was released on Thursday after posting an additional NT$30 million (US$938,857) in bail after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for bribing former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) in the Core Pacific case, CNA reported.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office accused Sheen of bribing Taipei officials during Ko's term to approve an increase in the Core Pacific Mall’s floor area ratio from 560% to 840%. He allegedly used a group subsidiary to transfer NT$52.5 million to Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) and paid NT$2.1 million to Ko in 2020.
Prosecutors said Sheen used seven company employees to transfer money into Ko’s TPP political donation account. They also alleged he paid NT$15 million in bribes to Ko, but the Taipei District Court said there was not enough evidence to support the charge.
The court said Sheen bribed Ko and other Taipei City government officials to push forward the Core Pacific Mall redevelopment, allowing the project to exceed floor space limits during Ko’s term as mayor. It ruled that the actions enabled the group’s subsidiary, Ding Yue Development, to earn NT$12.15 billion in profits.
In addition to allegedly accepting bribes from Sheen, Ko is accused of embezzling funds through Muko Public Relations Co. and misusing NT$62.3 million from the Chung Wang Foundation, which prosecutors said was used to handle corporate donations during his presidential campaign in 2024. Ko is also accused of receiving funds from the “KP Show,” a concert held to support his presidential bid.
The court on Thursday handed down first-instance verdicts in the Core Pacific bribery case. Ko was sentenced to 17 years for corruption and bribery, while Ying was sentenced to 15 years and six months.
Chung Wang Foundation Chair Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) was sentenced to four years and six months, former Taipei Department of Urban Development Commissioner Huang Ching-mao (黃景茂) to six years and six months, and former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) to two years, suspended for three years.
Ko and Ying were each stripped of their civil rights for six years, while Sheen lost his for five years and Huang for three years. The court also ordered the confiscation of Ding Yue Development’s illegal gains from the case. The verdict can be appealed.
The court also held a detention hearing for Ko, Ying, and Sheen, who had been released on bail during the trial. Judges ruled that Sheen’s original NT$180 million bail and Ying’s NT$35 million bail were insufficient to prevent absconding, and also ordered Ying to post an additional NT$30 million.
Ko’s bail remained at NT$70 million, with restrictions on his residence, travel, and the requirement to wear an electronic ankle monitor. Lee’s bail also remained at NT$20 million, but the court removed his electronic monitoring requirement.
Sheen denied committing bribery in the case, saying his applications for the Core Pacific Mall redevelopment were legal. He added that prosecutors pressured him to implicate Ko, causing him significant physical and mental discomfort.
At a Thursday press conference following the verdict, Ko also maintained his innocence in the bribery case. He said the redevelopment was approved by a commission of city government officials and urban planning experts.
Ko noted prosecutors’ 2024 searches of his home and the TPP party headquarters were illegal. He emphasized he never accepted bribes from Sheen and would not give up.
Under the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election and Recall Act, anyone sentenced to more than 10 years in prison cannot register as a candidate. Ko could lose his eligibility for the 2028 presidential election unless an appeal reduces his sentence to less than 10 years.
