Taipei: The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has filed an appeal against the 17-year sentence given to Taiwan People's Party founder Ko Wen-je, challenging the court's March ruling that reportedly excluded crucial evidence of a NT$15 million (US$472,830) bribe allegedly received by Ko.
According to Focus Taiwan, the appeal also targets the 10-year sentence of Sheen Ching-jing, founder and chairman of Core Pacific Group, who purportedly provided the bribe. Prosecutors assert that the total bribes amounted to NT$17.1 million, including a NT$2.1 million bribe acknowledged by the court and an additional NT$15 million recorded on an Excel file found on a USB drive at Ko's residence.
The Taipei District Court's March 26 decision found insufficient evidence to confirm the NT$15 million bribe beyond a reasonable doubt. Consequently, this bribe was not considered in the sentencing of Ko and Sheen, although they were not acquitted of the charge. Prosecutors contend that the Excel file entry labeled "Little Sheen 1500" should be seen as an accounting document rather than mere testimonial evidence.
Supporting the appeal, prosecutors highlighted a message Ko sent to witness Huang Shan-shan, stating, "Sheen Ching-jing has given it to me." Additionally, Sheen reportedly instructed a witness to withdraw NT$16 million, coinciding with the entry's addition to the Excel file.
Prosecutors argue that the original judgment inadequately addressed the NT$15 million bribe and the alleged coercion of the Taipei Department of Economic Development for project approvals, which they consider criminal acts. This oversight, they argue, undermined the factual basis of the sentences, rendering them potentially too lenient.
Furthermore, prosecutors claim that the sentences related to Ko and two others in a case involving misappropriated political donations failed to adequately consider the public interest damage, rendering the case more serious than ordinary misappropriation cases.
Thursday marked the final day for appealing the verdict. Ko, maintaining his innocence, had not lodged an appeal by press time.
Ko Wen-je, a former surgeon and Taipei mayor from 2014 to 2022, established the Taiwan People's Party during his second term. In the January 2024 elections, he ran as the TPP's presidential nominee, securing third place with 26.46% of the vote. A suspect in a May 2024 corruption case involving the Core Pacific City development project, Ko was detained in September 2024 and indicted in December, facing a potential 28.5-year sentence.
Released on bail in September 2025, Ko was sentenced to 17 years in March 2026 for corruption, misappropriating political donations, and breach of trust. While some in the TPP and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) argue that Ko's prosecution is politically motivated due to his potential 2028 election role, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has refrained from commenting, respecting judicial independence.
Ko's corruption conviction and sentence exceeding 10 years include deprivation of civil rights, rendering him ineligible to run for president or vice president under Taiwanese law unless his sentence is reduced or overturned on appeal.