- Ko Wen-je has been released from detention
- The court cited insufficient evidence to justify his arrest
- Ko's release from detention is a significant setback
Ko Wen-je, a former mayor of Taipei and presidential candidate, has been released from detention by a Taiwanese court.
The court cited insufficient evidence to justify his arrest in connection with an alleged corruption scandal.
The Taipei District Court ruled on Monday that prosecutors had failed to establish a “high possibility” of Ko’s involvement in the corruption case related to the redevelopment of the Core Pacific City shopping center. The court concluded that “it cannot be concluded that the defendant… knowingly violated the law.”
Ko, who was arrested on Saturday, has denied any wrongdoing and expressed his belief that there is “no evidence” of his involvement in the real estate scandal.
A surgeon by training, Ko entered politics in 2014 and served two terms as mayor of Taipei.
In 2019, he founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) as an alternative to the dominant Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang (KMT).
Despite the TPP’s small size in parliament, the party has gained significant influence due to the lack of a ruling majority for either the DPP or KMT.
Ko’s release from detention is a significant setback for prosecutors and raises questions about the strength of the evidence against him.
