Corruption is Everywhere > Including Taipei's Mayor's Office

 

Taiwanese court jails former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je for 17 years for corruption

William Zheng

Published: 7:00pm, 26 Mar 2026Updated: 7:15pm, 26 Mar 2026

Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for taking bribes and misusing political donations, dealing a heavy blow to the opposition party he built.

Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in 2019 and finished last in a three-way race for the island’s top political job in 2024, did not plead guilty, according to Taiwanese media reports.

The TPP is the third-biggest party in Taiwanese politics and has been in talks with the larger Kuomintang (KMT) to join forces in November’s local elections, a midterm contest could lay the groundwork for cooperation to challenge the DPP in 2028.

Taipei