TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taipei District Court (台北地方法院) convened a detention hearing for Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Friday (Nov. 1), which was initially scheduled a day earlier but faced delays due to Typhoon Kong-rey (康芮).
Authorities transported Ko to the court in the morning, with his hands cuffed and expression serious. The hearing, which was supposed to start at 9:30 a.m., experienced slight delays due to traffic congestion.
The court expects to announce the decision next Monday. Prosecutors allege Ko violated the "Anti-Corruption Act" (貪污治罪條例) by accepting bribes and benefiting from his supervisory duties. They claim Ko has the potential to collude with accomplices or witnesses.
A key figure, Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜), remains overseas, and several witnesses from Ko's mayoral tenure have yet to testify. Prosecutors argue that Ko, despite no longer holding office, still wields significant influence. They believe extending his detention is necessary to prevent potential obfuscation of the case, which could hinder effective prosecution.
The Taipei District Court had planned to hold the hearing on Thursday at 2 p.m., but the city government suspended work and classes due to the typhoon, causing a postponement.