August 14, 2025
TAIPEI – The Taipei District Court on Wednesday continued proceedings in the high-profile Jinghua City Development Corporation case involving former Taiwan People’s Party chairman and ex-Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je. The court summoned Bai Ren-de, a National Chengchi University land administration professor and former Taipei City Urban Planning Commission member, to testify.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Ko addressed the court, urging the judges to reflect privately on “how Taiwan will view this case 10 years from now.” Moments later, Judge Jiang Junyan declared the session adjourned.
However, tension quickly escalated when Ko’s wife, Chen Pei-chi, who had been observing from the gallery, rushed to the front and shouted at the three judges, questioning why her husband was treated as a serious criminal suspect. Judge Jiang, maintaining courtroom order, asked for her identity and instructed bailiffs to restrain her. He warned that continued disruption could lead to her being barred from future hearings. Ko’s lawyer, Zheng Shenyuan, pleaded for leniency, and the court decided not to enforce a ban.
This incident comes after Ko reportedly caused a commotion in court on August 7, prompting prosecutors to request a review of court video to determine if any laws were violated.
During the session, Ko reiterated that he had no objection to Bai’s testimony, but expressed regret for implicating others in the case. He criticized Taiwan’s judicial system as fragile and accused prosecutors of political interference, aided by media coverage that, he claimed, fueled public controversy over the development project’s 840% floor area ratio.
Ko argued that landowners were entitled to rewards under the Urban Planning Act and insisted that prosecutors lacked both expertise in urban planning and direct involvement in the process. He condemned the profiteering allegations made two years after the fact, saying they were politically motivated.
The former Taipei mayor reflected on his year-long detention, saying it was not based on higher court rulings or prosecutorial recommendations but rather on the presiding judge’s discretion. He called for a reassessment of his custody, emphasizing the long-term implications for Taiwan’s judiciary.
Ko also shared personal grief, recalling that his father passed away while he was detained. As both a son and a physician, he said it was painful to be unable to provide care, learning of his father’s death only during a legal visit.
While noting that he can endure personal hardship, Ko urged for reforms to protect the integrity of the judicial system. His lawyer, Zheng, also filed a petition on August 8 requesting a comprehensive medical examination under the Detention Act, citing the requirement for a full health check after a year in custody.
The case remains under intense public and political scrutiny, with further proceedings expected in the coming weeks.
