Ex-Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je Questioned in Connection With Corruption Probe
Former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je has been questioned by investigators in connection with a corruption probe. His house and the headquarters of the party he founded, the Taiwan People's Party, have also been searched. The developments come a day after he took a leave of absence as head of Taiwan's third party after it became embroiled in several allegations of misusing campaign funds.
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00:00Former Taipei Mayor Kuo Wen-je comes out of his home after it was searched by corruption
00:05investigators.
00:06In less than a year, one of Taiwan's best-known politicians has gone from being a presidential
00:12candidate to a suspect facing allegations of profiteering.
00:17A
00:38broader investigation into real estate deals during his tenure as Taipei City Mayor has
00:43been going on for weeks.
00:45Some people have been questioned, some detained.
00:48The big question, did any money go into the pockets of Taipei City officials?
00:55In the case that Kerr is being questioned about here at the Agency Against Corruption,
01:00a shopping mall was allowed to significantly increase its floor area ratio.
01:05The allegations are that Kerr approved this for the benefit of the developer, not for
01:10any public good.
01:12Kerr was questioned just a day after he took a leave of absence as chair of the party he
01:17created, because of these allegations and others that he misused election funds when
01:24he was running for president.
01:26His Taiwan People's Party headquarters has also now been searched.
01:30They say they will cooperate with the investigation and that they fully support Kerr in defending
01:36his innocence.
01:38These scandals have wounded his party.
01:41Taiwan's the third party in Taiwan's legislature and still holds the balance of power.
01:47But its future, and now that of its founder, are looking less certain.
01:52Joseph Wu, Patrick Chen and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.