Ko Wen-je and 7 Others Appeal in Core Pacific City Case; Files to be Sent to High Court on the 25th

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 22. Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, who was sentenced to 17 years in prison in the first instance for the Core Pacific City case, has appealed the verdict. A total of seven defendants have filed appeals. The Taipei District Court announced today that all appeal documents have been received and will be transferred to the Taiwan High Court on the morning of the 25th. The Taipei District Court delivered verdicts on four major cases, including the Core Pacific City case and Ko's political donation scandal, on March 26. Out of 11 defendants, nine were found guilty. Ko Wen-je received 17 years, KMT Councilor Ying Hsiao-wei received 15 years and 6 months, and Core Pacific Group Chairman Shen Ching-ching received 10 years. Others received sentences ranging from one to six and a half years. Former Deputy Mayor Peng Cheng-sheng and former Urban Planning Commission secretary Shao Hsiu-pei did not appeal, and their sentences are finalized. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office appealed against Ko and others on April 30, arguing that the first-instance verdict failed to consider the 15 million NTD bribe from Shen to Ko, resulting in an overly lenient sentence. Other defendants, including former Urban Development Bureau Director Huang Ching-mao and accountant Tuanmu Cheng, have also appealed. The High Court will assign judges to the case after receiving the files.