Regarding the “Jinghua City Case” and the “Political Donations Case,” the prosecution accused Ko Wen-je of four crimes, and shockingly, he was convicted on every single one in Thursday’s first-instance trial.
The real trigger of the Ko Wen-je case began in August 2024. On August 12 that year, the Taiwan People's Party was exposed for filing false disclosures of political donations for the 2024 general election. During the audit, investigators unexpectedly discovered suspicious financial links between some of the funds and people associated with the Wei Ching Group. On August 28, Taipei city councillor Ying Hsiao-wei attempted to fly from Taichung Qingquangang Airport to Hong Kong but was urgently brought back by investigators, forcing the prosecution to launch a large-scale raid on the “Jinghua City Case” earlier than planned.
On August 30, prosecutors and investigators launched large-scale searches of Ko Wen-je’s residence, office, and the Taiwan People's Party's central headquarters. Afterwards, Ko Wen-je underwent a tortuous process of “three entries and three exits” at the detention center, being held in custody for a total of 363 days before finally being granted bail with a travel restriction.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office requested a total imprisonment of 28 years and 6 months for Ko Wen-je, mainly focusing on the following four charges:
First, bribery in violation of official duty. According to Taiwan's “Anti-Corruption Act,” the prosecution determined that Ko Wen-je accepted a total of NT$17.1 million (about RM2.15 million) in bribes from Wei Ching Group chairman Shen Ching-ching, including the well-known “1500” fund flow, considered a gratuity after the fact. For this charge, the prosecution requested a 15-year sentence, the heaviest among all charges.
Second, profiteering. Also under the “Anti-Corruption Act,” Ko Wen-je was accused of “knowingly breaking the law” by instructing subordinates to illegally approve a 20% floor-area bonus for Jinghua City, allowing Wei Ching Group to gain over NT$12.1 billion (about RM1.519 billion) in illegal profits. The sentence sought for this is counted together with the bribery charge.
Third, breach of trust for public interest. Under the “Anti-Corruption Act,” this relates to the political donations case. The prosecution accused Ko Wen-je of diverting about NT$62.34 million (roughly RM7.83 million) from supporters' donations and authorization fees from Mu Ke Company for personal use or for transfer to companies under his personal control under various pretexts. The prosecution sought an 11-year sentence for this (both cases combined).
Fourth, breach of fiduciary duty (embezzlement). Under the “Anti-Corruption Act,” this relates to funds from the Zongwang Foundation. Ko Wen-je, as party chairman and a public official, was accused of failing to fulfill his duties, using the foundation’s funds for non-charitable party activities or personal matters. The prosecution sought a 2-year and 6-month sentence for this.
On Thursday, the Taipei District Court gave its first-instance judgments: for the first and second charges, 13 years in prison and deprivation of civil rights for 6 years; for the third charge of misappropriation, 5 years and 6 months; for the fourth breach of trust charge, 2 years and 6 months.