Taipei: Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je was released by the Taipei District Court after posting NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail on Monday, ending his year-long incommunicado detention as he faces trial for corruption. Under the terms of his release granted last Friday, Ko is required to stay at a registered address, wear a GPS-equipped tracking device, and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting other defendants or witnesses involved in the trial.
According to Focus Taiwan, after Ko’s wife, Chen Pei-chi, posted bail, Ko was transferred from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20 p.m., where he was fitted with an ankle monitor. At approximately 2:30 p.m., Ko, accompanied by Chen, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, and internet personality Holger Chen, addressed a crowd of reporters and approximately 700 supporters outside the courthouse.
Ko expressed gratitude to his supporters for their solidarity over the past year, asserting that Taipei prosecutors had found “nothing” incriminating after thorough searches of him, his family, assistants, and the TPP. He criticized the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, claiming they were persecuting him for political reasons. Ko described his detention as a time of “suffering,” deprived of sunlight and human contact, which gave him an opportunity to reflect on his career and personal shortcomings.
The experience, according to Ko, exposed him to a “different side of Taiwanese society,” living among individuals with challenging lives, including cellmates who lacked financial means. He expressed hope for a more unified Taiwan, rather than one divided under President Lai Ching-te, and termed the case against him a “miscarriage of justice.” As he departed, Ko assured his supporters of his continued efforts and determination not to surrender.
Chen Pei-chi stated that Ko plans to visit Hsinchu to see his mother and make arrangements for his father’s ashes, who passed away during Ko’s custody. Ko was detained on September 5, 2024, and indicted in December on four charges, including accepting NT$17.1 million in bribes related to a property redevelopment case while serving as Taipei mayor, and misappropriating political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign.
Prosecutors are seeking a total sentence of 28.5 years for Ko, who has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the investigation and ongoing trial. Ten other individuals were also indicted in the two anti-corruption probes, including former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng; Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei; Lee Wen-tsung, finance chief of Ko’s 2024 election campaign office; and Sheen Ching-jing, founder and chairman of the real estate conglomerate Core Pacific Group.
