A Taiwanese court has sentenced former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je to 17 years in prison after convicting him of corruption and misuse of political donations, the BBC reported.
Ko, 65, was found guilty of accepting more than $535,000 in bribes linked to a real estate deal during his term as mayor. He was also convicted of misreporting campaign finances during his presidential bid in January.
The founder of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), Ko has denied all allegations, while the party’s chairman Huang Kuo-chang described the charges as politically motivated.
In the 2024 presidential election, Ko secured more than 25% of the vote, finishing behind ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te, who won with 40%. Despite placing last among three candidates, his result was seen by observers as a sign of public interest in alternatives to Taiwan’s two dominant political parties.
Ko positioned himself as a third option in Taiwanese politics, criticizing both the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the opposition Kuomintang (KMT). Following his defeat in the election, he said he intended to continue his political career and was expected to run again in 2028.
