Ko claims trial unfair following 17-year sentenceBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) supporters protested in Taipei against former chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) conviction for corruption, saying that the judiciary is no longer about fairness and justice, but has become a tool for those in power. Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) former chairman Ko Wen-je, center right, addresses the crowd as TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang, center left, looks on during a party rally in Taipei yesterday protesting Ko’s corruption conviction. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesFormer TPP legislator Chang Chi-kai said the ruling is unreasonable because the payoff was disproportionate with the severity of the sentence. Ko said it was not an aboveboard trial, questioning the reasoning behind the verdict and saying it could erode public trust in Taiwan’s judiciary. TPP said that 80,000 people participated in the rally, and the number of online viewers exceeded 100,000 during the event.

Source: Taipei Times March 29, 2026 17:13 UTC