TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei District Court convened a hearing on Thursday (Oct. 24) to decide whether to extend the detention of a Taipei City councilor, who is detained on allegations of accepting NT$47.4 million in bribes from Core Pacific Group chairman to lobby the Taipei City Government on the Core Pacific City redevelopment project.
Angela Ying's (應曉薇) detention period will expire on Oct. 29, prompting the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office (台北地檢署) to request an extension on Oct. 22. The district court held the hearing at 10:50 a.m. and concluded shortly after noon. Ying will return to the Taipei Women's Detention Center (台北女子看守所) this evening.
Customs officials stopped Ying from leaving the country twice on Aug. 27 due to a border control notice. Prosecutors subsequently detained her, and on Aug. 28, they launched a large-scale search and questioned Chairman Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ying's assistant Wu Shun-min (吳順民). The court approved the detention of Ying on the night of Aug. 29 and Sheen and Wu early on Aug. 30.
As the two-month detention period nears completion, prosecutors have requested an extension for Ying and Sheen. However, they believe Wu, who has cooperated with the investigation, no longer requires detention and has applied for his release on bail. The court scheduled separate hearings, questioning Sheen yesterday, Ying today, and Wu tomorrow afternoon.