Ko Wen-je, a prominent figure in Taiwanese politics and former presidential candidate, has been indicted on corruption charges that could result in a prison sentence of up to 28.5 years. The 65-year-old former Taipei mayor is accused of accepting bribes during his time in office.
Ko Wen-je, a former presidential candidate and prominent figure in Taiwanese politics, was indicted on Thursday over corruption allegations.
The 65-year-old stands accused of accepting $500,000 in bribes linked to a real estate deal during his tenure as Taipei mayor and of misreporting campaign finances during his presidential run in January. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of up to 28.5 years.
The indictment marks a major setback for Ko and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), which has appealed to voters seeking an alternative to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT). Prosecutors revealed that Ko is among 11 individuals facing charges, including several TPP members accused of misusing political donations.
Ko, who denies the allegations, was arrested in September and remains in detention. His political allies and supporters have protested the charges, accusing the DPP of weaponizing the legal system to suppress its opponents.
Ko’s political career has been marked by his role as a third-party alternative in a system dominated by the DPP and KMT. In the January presidential election, he garnered over 25% of the vote—a significant showing for a third-party candidate—while the ruling party’s Lai Ching-te won with 40%.
Although Ko finished last among the three main candidates, his performance highlighted growing public demand for alternatives to the two-party system.
Rising to prominence after supporting the 2014 Sunflower Movement protests against Beijing, Ko won the Taipei mayoral election as an independent and secured a second term in 2018. Over time, his policies evolved, and he sought to strengthen Taipei’s ties with mainland China. T
hroughout his career, he has been known for his unconventional rhetoric and unorthodox campaign strategies, earning him a reputation as a “wildcard” in Taiwanese politics.
Despite his loss in the presidential race, Ko had expressed intentions to run again in 2028. However, the wave of prosecutions against him and his party raises questions about whether the TPP can recover and remain a viable political force.
As the legal proceedings continue, the indictment against Ko has sparked a heated debate in Taiwan about the balance between justice and political maneuvering, with potential implications for the nation’s political future.
Ukrainian and European officials have rejected Moscow's claims that Ukraine targeted a personal residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with a d...
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said that Ukraine wanted the war to end, but not at any cost, adding he would no...
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned a move by Israel to ban electricity or water to facilities owned by the UN Palestinian ref...
People around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the new year to come. Midnight arrived first on the islan...
President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan ended 2025 as a year of peace, security and stability, stressing that unity between the people and the governme...
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck offshore near Taiwan’s north-eastern county of Yilan late on Saturday, shaking buildings across the island, including in the capital Taipei, authorities said.
Japan’s tourism sector has experienced a slowdown after China’s government advised its citizens to reconsider travel to Japan, following remarks by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan.
Japan's cabinet has approved a record-high $785 billion budget for the next fiscal year - including the largest allocation for defence spending ever.
Taiwanese authorities confirmed on Saturday that a series of planned knife and smoke-grenade attacks in Taipei left three people dead and 11 others injured. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Chang Wen, died after falling from a department store building following the assaults on Friday.
The Russian radio station known as 'Doomsday Radio' (or UVB-76) unexpectedly began playing ‘Swan Lake’, music from a ballet composition. The last time this was done was during the deaths of Soviet-era leaders and the 1991 coup.
Protests in Iran over soaring prices and a plunging rial have spread to universities in Tehran, as students join shopkeepers and bazaar merchants in demanding government action. With inflation above 42% and the rial at record lows, unrest continues to grow across the country.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, rising casualties, economic struggles, and mounting unrest expose cracks in society. Despite Kremlin propaganda, frustration is growing as more Russians question the government’s narrative, according to The Washington Post.
The head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has ordered all forces linked to the United Arab Emirates to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
European leaders held talks on Ukraine after Russia said it would revise its negotiating position, citing an alleged Ukrainian drone attack that Kyiv has firmly denied.
Senior officials from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, met in Beijing this week for talks with Chinese counterparts, marking a rare in-person engagement between the four-nation grouping and China amid heightened strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.
Ukrainian and European officials have rejected Moscow's claims that Ukraine targeted a personal residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin with a drone attack this week, an incident that threatens to disrupt U.S.-led peace negotiations heading into the new year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his New Year address to the nation, said that Ukraine wanted the war to end, but not at any cost, adding he would not sign a "weak" peace agreement that would only prolong the war.
People around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the new year to come. Midnight arrived first on the islands closest to the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean, including Kiritimati, Tonga and New Zealand.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran’s answer to any aggression will be decisive and “discouraging” and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged his counterparts to strongly denounce US President Donald Trump’s recent threat of military strike against Iran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment