The Taipei District Court yesterday opened its trial into a corruption case involving a Taipei development project during the tenure of then-Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and the use of political donations during Ko’s presidential campaign, with some defendants admitting guilt, while others maintained their innocence.
Former Taipei deputy mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲) was the first defendant brought in, followed by former Taipei Urban Planning Commission executive secretary Shao Hsiu-pei (邵琇珮) and Ko’s presidential campaign finance manager, Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗).
Prosecutors last month indicted Ko on charges of corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust, alleging that he assisted Core Pacific Group (威京集團) and its subsidiary in gaining unlawful financial benefits of more than NT$12.105 billion (US$369.4 million).
Photo: CNA
Pong, Shao and Lee were among the 10 defendants alongside Ko indicted on breaches of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), as well as embezzlement, bribery, forgery of documents and tampering with evidence.
Prosecutors also pressed charges against Ko, Lee and several other defendants for accounting fraud, embezzlement and personally profiting from political donations during last year’s presidential campaign in contravention of the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法) and other statutes.
Pong pled guilty, saying in his opening statement through his lawyer that he had “told investigators everything that I know, and admit to the charges against me. I will not retract these statements.”
His lawyer had some questions about the scope of the indictment and asked that the judges for more time to prepare for the defense, adding that Pong would not retract his testimony and had admitted to his involvement in the case.
Shao was quoted as already admitting to involvement, as her lawyers cited her cooperation and testimony during the investigation, and requested a reduced term and suspended sentence.
Prosecutors agreed with the statements by the defense and asked the court for more lenient terms for Pong and Shao, also citing that both had no prior criminal record, as well as provisions for defendants to receive reduced sentencing under the Witness Protection Act (證人保護法) for assisting prosecutors.
Meanwhile, Lee, who also served as director of the Taiwan Prestige and Solicitude Foundation, denied any wrongdoing.
Lee denied that the foundation and marketing firm Muko Public Relations (木可行銷公關), which was headed by his sister, Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟), were fronts for money laundering and illegal personal profiteering from political contributions by individuals and businesses for Ko’s presidential campaign.
The foundation was set up for Ko and the Taiwan People’s Party to promote their core values and party principles by engaging in charitable events, while the Muko Public Relations was a for-profit business, his defense said.
He received guidance from Ko, who told him that Muko would pay the wages of the campaign staff, and would manage the registration of health insurance and pension plans for them, Lee’s lawyers said.
Prosecutors have accused Lee of taking NT$2.1 million in bribes in the Core Pacific Mall redevelopment project, that he had misappropriated funds by using Ko’s image and likeness to sell campaign souvenirs, and had embezzled NT$8.27 million of donations to the foundation.
‘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 High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS