ISTANBUL

A court in Taiwan on Thursday sentenced former Taipei mayor and opposition leader Ko Wen-je to 17 years in prison for bribery, a ruling that bars him from running in the 2028 presidential election, local broadcaster TVBS reported.

The Taipei District Court found 66-year-old Ko, founder of the Taiwan People’s Party and the third-place finisher in the 2024 presidential election, guilty on bribery charges.

Ko’s sentence includes six years’ loss of civil rights and can be appealed. However, under Taiwan’s election law, anyone facing a pending sentence of 10 years or more cannot run for president.

He was convicted on multiple counts, including 13 years for bribery, with additional terms for embezzlement and breach of trust. Prosecutors had sought a sentence of more than 28 years.

Ko denied all charges and accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party of political persecution. The case relates to his 2018-2022 term as mayor, during which prosecutors say he accepted $535,000 in bribes.

He spent 368 days in detention before posting bail in 2025 and remains under electronic monitoring. His legal team has not said whether he will appeal the ruling.

Nine other defendants linked to the case were also sentenced, while two defendants were acquitted. Ko also faces six additional investigations, leaving his political future uncertain.