Taiwan prosecutors said they were seeking 28 years in prison for a former Taipei mayor and presidential contender who was charged on Thursday on allegations of corruption and misappropriation of political money.
In January’s presidential election, Ko Wen-je, the head of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), campaigned as a third-party candidate and received almost 25% of the vote.
However, in recent months, he has been involved in several controversies, such as a corruption investigation involving a real estate development that reportedly took place during his second tenure as mayor of Taipei, which ran from 2018 to 2022.
According to the Taipei district prosecutors’ office, Ko was charged on Thursday with breach of trust, abusing funds for the TPP and a charity foundation, and the property matter.