Leading Taiwan opposition politician Ko Wen-je’s home raided in corruption probe
The leader of the Taiwan People’s Party’s role in approving a shopping mall development while mayor of Taipei is under scrutiny
Taiwanese prosecutors raided the home of leading opposition politician Ko Wen-je on Friday over accusations of corruption stemming from his time as mayor of Taipei.
Ko, the leader of the opposition Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who ran against the island’s leader William Lai Ching-te in January’s election, was questioned by investigators from the Agency Against Corruption, according to local media reports. His wife, Chen Pei-chi, was also summoned for questioning as a witness.
Investigators are probing Ko’s role in approving the development of Core Pacific City, a giant urban shopping mall in Taipei, while he was the city’s mayor.
This week prosecutors detained three people in connection with the case: Taipei city councillor Ying Hsiao-wei, her assistant Wu Shun-min, and Sheen Ching-jing, chairman of the Core Pacific Group. Ying is a member of the main opposition party Kuomintang.
Ko’s TPP is widely seen as a rising political force in Taiwan, winning support from voters who feel alienated by the KMT’s Beijing-friendly position, but also disapprove of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s confrontational approach to cross-strait relations.
Ko himself is popular among young Taiwanese voters who feel he is more in sync with their frustration and aspirations.
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