In a landmark judicial ruling that has sent shockwaves through Taiwan’s political landscape, former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je has been sentenced to 17 years imprisonment following his conviction on corruption and campaign finance violations. The Taipei District Court found the 65-year-old political maverick guilty of accepting approximately NT$17.1 million (US$535,000) in bribes connected to a real estate development project during his mayoral tenure, alongside charges of misreporting political donations during his 2024 presidential campaign.
Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and emerged as a significant third-force in Taiwanese politics, maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. His legal team had vigorously contested the allegations, characterizing them as politically motivated maneuvers by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to eliminate opposition voices.
The sentencing fell significantly short of the 28-year term prosecutors had initially sought, though it nonetheless represents one of the most severe penalties ever imposed on a Taiwanese political figure of Ko’s stature. The former mayor, who was arrested in 2024 but released on bail last September, now faces the prospect of extensive incarceration unless his anticipated appeal proves successful.
Ko’s political trajectory had been remarkable: his 2024 presidential bid captured over 25% of the popular vote, finishing a competitive third behind winner Lai Ching-te (40%) and another opponent. This performance demonstrated substantial voter appetite for alternatives to the traditional DPP-Kuomintang (KMT) dichotomy that has long dominated Taiwan’s politics.
Outside the courthouse, tensions flared as supporters gathered to protest what they decried as judicial persecution. Kenny Yang, a 52-year-old supporter, told AFP that regardless of the verdict, Ko’s backers would ‘continue to support him and help him seek justice,’ adding that they ‘cannot allow Taiwan to become a society without a sense of right and wrong.’
The case has ignited intense debate about political justice in Taiwan, with Ko’s TPP allies accusing the ruling administration of weaponizing the judicial system against opponents. Current TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang has consistently denounced the charges as baseless and politically driven.
Prior to his legal troubles, Ko had positioned himself as a pragmatic alternative to both the Beijing-skeptic DPP and the China-friendly KMT, criticizing the former for escalating cross-strait tensions while faulting the latter for excessive deference to Beijing. Despite this setback, Ko had previously expressed intentions to pursue the presidency again in 2028, though his political future now appears uncertain.