Former Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for his involvement in four major crimes. A sentence exceeding 10 years also makes Ko ineligible to register to run for president and vice president in Taiwan.

Ko, also the former TPP chair, was ordered to appear in court for the verdict alongside three other defendants involved in the Core Pacific City scandal. 

In late 2024, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TPC) determined that Ko violated the Anti-Corruption Act and indicted him for accepting bribes, engaging in profiteering, and embezzling political donations for the TPP. The prosecutors requested a total of 28 years and 6 months in prison for Ko. He was released last September on bail of NT$70 million (US$2.15 million) pending sentencing.

After the two-year legal battle, the Taipei District Court delivered its first-instance verdict, sentencing Ko to a combined 17 years imprisonment with a 6-year deprivation of civil rights. The supplementary civil rights deprivation penalty is often applied to criminal cases and prevents criminals from holding public office and voting for a period of time.

Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election and Recall Act Article 26 stipulates that candidates who have been given a death sentence, life imprisonment, or a sentence of 10 years or more are disqualified from running for president and vice president. The legislation applies to first-instance verdicts even when appeals are possible, and determines that Ko has lost eligibility to run for president or vice president in future elections.