Former Taiwan presidential hopeful Ko Wen-je charged with corruption

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Ko Wen-je, a former Taipei mayor and one-time presidential candidate, has been charged with bribery, profiteering, embezzlement and breach of trust and could face more than 28 years months in prison if convicted

Ko, who won support among younger voters in a presidential election this year with promises to upend Taiwan’s political establishment, was indicted on Thursday and released on NT$30 million (US$1 million) bail on Friday after spending 113 days in detention.

Ko, chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party, or TPP, has denied the charges.

“I still believe in myself. I’m not the type of person who would seek personal gain, engage in corruption, or break the law,” he told reporters outside his home on Friday.

“That said, facing challenges like this makes me realize there are areas in my life I need to reflect on.”

His party called the indictment a “politically motivated crackdown and judicial injustice.”

Prosecutors allege Ko orchestrated financial benefits worth billions of New Taiwan dollars for private developers during his mayoral tenure, embezzled political donations, and accepted bribes totaling tens of millions.

“After committing these crimes, investigators found shredded notes in his office containing instructions for accomplices to leave the country and inquiries about internal financial records,” the prosecutor’s office said in a news release.

“This behavior demonstrates his attempts to evade responsibility and his poor attitude following the offenses, leading to the specific charges requested,” it added.

Rise and fall

Ko, a physician, rose to fame in Taiwanese politics by winning two elections for the mayor of Taipei in 2014 and again in 2022.

In 2019, he founded the TPP, positioning it as an alternative to Taiwan’s dominant political parties, the Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP, and the Kuomintang, or KMT.

In the 2024 presidential election, Ko and the TPP gained significant support among younger voters, presenting a fresh alternative to the establishment and posing a challenge to the dominance of the major parties.

Ko has, however, stirred controversy with what critics see as an ambiguous stance on cross-straight relations. The TPP had maintained a nuanced approach, emphasizing the importance of peace and stability while advocating for Taiwan’s sovereignty.

Ko criticized the DPP and KMT over their China-related policies, calling the approach of the former overly confrontational and of the latter too conciliatory.

In 2015, Ko promoted a concept he called “one family on both sides of the Strait”, speaking in favour of exchanges between Taiwan and China and fostering goodwill.

The ruling DPP, which takes a pro-sovereignty stance, accused Ko of “echoing” the Chinese Communist Party’s unification rhetoric and “undermining” Taiwan’s sovereignty.

China regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. The democratic island has been self-governing since it effectively separated from mainland China in 1949 after the Chinese Civil War.

Edited by Taejun Kang.