Ko Wen-je, the previous mayor of Taipei and chief of the Taiwan Individuals’s Occasion (TPP) was arrested in reference to allegations of corruption linked to Taipei’s Core Pacific Metropolis redevelopment venture, which happened throughout Ko’s 2014-2022 tenure as mayor, his get together mentioned Saturday.
Ko, who garnered vital assist as a third-party candidate in Taiwan’s current presidential election, refused to proceed a marathon in a single day interrogation session, prompting prosecutors to detain him. The Taipei District Prosecutor’s Workplace cited issues of potential collusion as the rationale for the arrest.
Below Taiwanese law, prosecutors should search court docket approval to detain a suspect inside 24 hours of interrogation. Ko has since requested a judicial overview of the arrest choice.
The corruption scandal centers on an alleged illicit improve within the ground space ratio (FAR) of the Core Pacific Metropolis venture, a transfer that reportedly benefitted property builders by increasing the venture’s profitability. Investigators have named Ko and a number of other former Taipei Metropolis officers as suspects.
Ko’s arrest comes amid a broader wave of investigations into Taiwanese politicians for corruption and misconduct. The TPP, in a statement, referred to as for the court docket to scrutinize the legality of the arrest and defend Ko’s rights.
Ko, a former trauma surgeon, was a shock contender within the January presidential race, securing practically 27 p.c of the vote.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
