The Taipei District Court ruled on Thursday that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je should be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption from when he served as Mayor of Taipei. Ko also served as the party’s nominee for the 2024 Taipei election which saw the DPP clinch a majority of the votes.

This reverses an earlier decision that saw Ko released on Monday. Ko’s Taiwan People’s Party has served as a third party in Taiwan’s federal political landscape and positions itself in between the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party and the pro-China Kuomintang. 

Ko is charged with corruption from when he served as mayor of Taipei from 2012-2022. He was originally arrested on August 31st for corruption relating to a property development graft and has vigorously denied the claims. Core Pacific Group Chairman Sheen Ching-jing was alleged to have given Kuomingtang Taipei City Councilor Ying Hsiao-Wei nearly 48mn New Taipei dollar to lobby the government to increase the floor area ratio of the companies Core Pacific City, part of which was reportedly given to Ko. 

Ko told reporters that this is the first instance in which the home, office, and party headquarters of a major opposition party leader have been searched. According to Taiwan’s Anti-Corruption Act, taking bribes that undermine official duties can be punishable by at least 10 years in jail while directly or indirectly seeking unlawful gains for oneself or others can result in a prison sentence of no less than five years. 

Ko joins Ying, and Ying’s assistant Wu Shun-min, who are all detained and being held incommunicado as suspects in the ongoing investigation. The TPP is also being investigated under a separate criminal investigation relating to campaign finance issues.