Taiwanese court jails former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je for 17 years for corruption

Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in 2019 and finished last in a three-way race for the island’s top political job in 2024, did not plead guilty, according to Taiwanese media reports.The TPP is the third-biggest party in Taiwanese politics and has been in talks with the larger Kuomintang (KMT) to join forces in November’s local elections, a midterm contest could lay the groundwork for cooperation to challenge the DPP in 2028.In addition to the jail sentence, Ko was banned from running for public office for six years, the court said.Prosecutors had sought a combined jail term of 28½ years for various offences, including during the defendant’s time as mayor between 2014 and 2022.Ko was accused of taking NT$17.1 million (US$530,000) in bribes from Core Pacific Group chairman Sheen Ching-jing in return for granting an illegal increase in a project’s floor-area ratio.He was also accused of involvement in the embezzlement of more than NT$68 million in political donations to the TPP and a company linked to the party, and the misuse of around NT$8.27 million in donations for a social welfare foundation for his presidential campaign.