The Taipei District Court today approved an extended detention for Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), while the Taiwan High Court rejected real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing's (沈慶京) appeal to have his detention ended.
The two are in custody as part of an alleged corruption case involving a redevelopment project in Taipei that has embroiled Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Photo: CNA
Ying, of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), is accused of acting as a go-between between Sheen and high-ranking city government officials in the construction project, including then-Taipei mayor Ko.
Sheen, founder and chairman of the Core Pacific Group, is alleged to have bribed Taipei city officials to illegally increase the floor area ratio (FAR) of a site formerly occupied by Core Pacific City to raise the property's financial value.
Ko, Sheen and Ying have all denied the allegations.
Ying is to be held incommunicado for two more months as of tomorrow, as ruled by the Taipei District Court.
The court determined that Ying could potentially tamper with evidence or collude with coconspirators, as her statements on the case differ greatly from other witnesses and suspects, and other witnesses and potential accomplices have yet to be tracked down.
She also poses a flight risk, as she has the means to flee abroad for an extended period of time, the court said.
After being detained on Aug. 29, Sheen has been taken out of prison for medical treatment three times, being hospitalized the last time on Oct. 1 and taken back into custody on Oct. 15.
Sheen's attorney applied for a suspension of his detention, citing his poor health.
The request was rejected by the Taipei District Court, which said the hospital's report on Sheen's health condition did not markedly differ from previous ones and did not indicate a need for him to receive long-term specific medical care.
Sheen then appealed the ruling to the High Court.
In the second instance, the High Court rejected the appeal, saying the ruling in the first instance was clear in its statement, and in line with rules of experience and logic.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS