Taiwanese former presidential candidate Ko Wen-je was facing several charges of corruption tied to numerous scandals such as property redevelopment projects during his time as Taipei mayor.
On Thursday, a spokesperson from the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said at a briefing, that the prosecutors are proposing a sentence of 28 years or longer for bribery and misappropriation of political donations. Ko may also have to pay a fine of NT$ 50 million ($1.5 million) for the crime.
Ko has denied all allegations and said that he was not responsible for granting Core Pacific Group additional floor area in the redevelopment project.
The case is the latest in a series of anti-corruption crackdowns against politicians.
The Taiwan People’s Party, which was co-founded by Ko in 2019, and its China-align partner Kuomintang, is holding a joint majority in the legislature. Two parties have pushed through various reforms, which many supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party said are specifically made to impede President Lai Ching-te’s government from ruling the island, which is currently one of the major reasons behind US-China tension.
Ko came third in Taiwan’s 2024 presidential election behind Lai and KMT candidate Hou Yu-ih. This month Ko announced his resignation as TPP leader.
