《TAIPEI TIMES》 Two detained in Core Pacific City scandal

By Yang Kuo-wen and Jason Pan / Staff reporters

Former Dingyue Development Corp （鼎越開發） president Chu Yea-hu （朱亞虎） has admitted paying bribes in connection to the Core Pacific City case, the Taipei District Court said, which granted prosecutors’ request late on Saturday night to have him detained and held incommunicado for suspected corruption.

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The court late on Saturday evening also approved a request by the Taipei District Court to detain chief financial officer of the Taiwan People’s Party’s （TPP） presidential campaign Lee Wen-tsung （李文宗）.

The two were among 10 defendants accused of corruption by allegedly giving preferential treatment to Core Pacific City Co （京華城） during TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je’s （柯文哲） tenure as Taipei mayor and expanding the floor area ratio （FAR） of the redevelopment project in 2020 to boost the value of the property.

Chu and Lee were summoned for questioning by Taipei prosecutors and the Agency Against Corruption taskforce earlier on Saturday during which Chu admitted to paying bribes to city officials, court records showed.

The court ordered Lee to be detained for allegedly taking bribes, although he denied the allegations against him when questioned, court records showed.

Other suspects were also questioned, including Core Pacific supervisor Chang Chih-cheng （張志澄） and Core Pacific Group legal affairs manager Chen Chun-yuan （陳俊源）.

They were later released on bail of NT$2.5 million （US$78,894） and NT$1.5 million respectively.

Prosecutors said that Chu of Dingyue Development Corp, a subsidiary of Core Pacific Group （威京集團）, and Lee played the role of “white glove” intermediaries to channel bribes between Core Pacific Group chairman Sheen Ching-jing （沈慶京） and Ko.

Prosecutors said Chu is facing bribery charges for contravening the Anti-Corruption Act （貪污治罪條例） and would be detained due to the high risk that he would flee abroad or collude on his testimony with other defendants.

Lee is facing charges of taking bribes and would be detained to prevent him from tampering with evidence or colluding on his testimony with other defendants.

Additional reporting by Chen Tsai-ling and CNA

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES