Former Taipei Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) was among the first of those indicted with former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People Party’s (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on charges of bribery and corruption to be released on bail this morning as he left the Taipei District Court.
It was expected that Pong would be released on bail as he had pleaded guilty during the investigation and had been unwell, Pong’s lawyer said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Pong told investigators what needed to be told, his lawyer said.
However, Pong’s bail, which was NT$5 million (US$150,000), exceeded what his family had expected, he said.
Pong was seen smiling and waving to reporters when he left the court.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), finance chief of Ko's 2024 election campaign, who was also among the first of the defendants to be released on bail, left the court at 10.30am today.
Lee, who was released on bail of NT$10 million, wore a yellow jacket and a mask, holding hands with his family.
Ko, Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei (應曉薇) and Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), founder and chairman of the real estate conglomerate Core Pacific Group, are still waiting for their lawyers or family to pay their respective bails.
According to today's ruling, Ko is to be released on bail of NT$30 million, Ying on bail of NT$15 million and Sheen on bail of NT$40 million.
Police have issued warnings against traveling to Cambodia or Thailand when others have paid for the travel fare in light of increasing cases of teenagers, middle-aged and elderly people being tricked into traveling to these countries and then being held for ransom. Recounting their ordeal, one victim on Monday said she was asked by a friend to visit Thailand and help set up a bank account there, for which they would be paid NT$70,000 to NT$100,000 (US$2,136 to US$3,051). The victim said she had not found it strange that her friend was not coming along on the trip, adding that when she
INFRASTRUCTURE: Work on the second segment, from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2039, the railway bureau said Planned high-speed rail (HSR) extensions would blanket Taiwan proper in four 90-minute commute blocs to facilitate regional economic and livelihood integration, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said in an interview published yesterday. A project to extend the high-speed rail from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝) is the first part of the bureau’s greater plan to expand rail coverage, he told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). The bureau’s long-term plan is to build a loop to circle Taiwan proper that would consist of four sections running from Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to
The Civil Aviation Administration yesterday said that it is considering punishments for China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines for making hard landings and overworking their cabin crew when the nation was hit by Typhoon Kong-rey in October last year. The civil aviation authority launched an investigation after media reported that many airlines were forced to divert their flights to different airports or go around after failing to land when the typhoon affected the nation on Oct. 30 and 31 last year. The agency reviewed 503 flights dispatched by Taiwanese airlines during those two days, as well as weather data, flight hours
Three people have had their citizenship revoked after authorities confirmed that they hold Chinese ID cards, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday. Two of the three people were featured in a recent video about Beijing’s “united front” tactics by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) and Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源), including Su Shi-en (蘇士恩), who displayed a Chinese ID card in the video, and taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲), who mentioned he had obtained a Chinese ID card in a telephone call with Chen, Liang told the council’s weekly news conference. Lee, who reportedly worked in
RSS