The head of the third-biggest political party in Taiwan has been detained by prosecutors on charges of corruption related to a retail center project.
Taiwanese media say Ko Wen-je, the chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party, or TPP, is suspected of having illegally increased the floor area ratio of the shopping center at the request of a developer in 2020 when he was the mayor of the capital Taipei.
Prosecutors searched Ko’s home and the TPP’s headquarters on Friday while questioning the party leader.
When Ko refused to submit to any more questioning, they took him into custody early on Saturday morning.
According to reports, Ko’s attorney intends to ask a judge to look into Ko’s arrest for potential legal problems with the process.
The arrest came two days after Ko announced a three-month leave of absence. He is accused of misreporting political donations during the Taiwan presidential race in January.
Ko has garnered support from people who are discontent with the two major parties — the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the largest opposition Kuomintang.
