Politics

Protestors Gather Outside of Prosecutors Office to Support Ko Wen-je

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By Patrick Chen/Leslie Liao

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Protesters are calling for the release of former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People's Party Chair Ko Wen-je after prosecutors applied to detain the former presidential candidate for two months on corruption charges.

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Through the night, supporters of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je gathered outside the Taipei Prosecutor’s Office, protesting his arrest and claiming the corruption allegations against him are baseless. Ko, who also founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), was detained on Saturday after refusing to continue questioning about alleged profiteering from a shopping mall during his tenure as mayor.

Prosecutors are now seeking Ko’s formal detention. The TPP has expressed frustration, accusing the prosecutors of leaking case details and conducting searches that are not directly related to the investigation. They allege that the search at the TPP headquarters was improperly conducted and that the case against Ko, concerning his connections with the mall, was previously resolved with Taipei city officials.

TPP legislators have questioned the legitimacy of the investigation’s methods and the potential for such practices to affect others in the future.

 

The request to detain Ko could create further challenges for the TPP, which faces uncertainty about its future. The party remains determined to defend Ko and address the allegations against him.