
Ko, who denied the corruption allegations, was arrested in September and detained.
He was among 11 people prosecuted, prosecutors said Thursday. Several other members of his Taiwan People’s Party have also been accused of embezzling political donations.
Koo, who was a dark horse in last January’s presidential election, won more than 25% of the vote – not much less than ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te, who got 40%.
Observers said at the time that although Ko came in last place among the three presidential candidates, his significant performance indicated voters’ demand for a more pluralistic political landscape beyond the two major parties.
Coe rose to prominence by describing himself as a third choice outside the two major parties. He criticized the DPP for stirring up tensions with Beijing, which considers the autonomous island its own territory, but also blamed the Kuomintang for being too deferential.
After supporting protesters during the anti-Beijing Sunflower Movement in 2014, Ko was elected mayor of Taipei as an independent candidate.
He won a second term in 2018, but his policies appear to have changed and he has expanded Taipei’s relationship with mainland China.
Ko, long known as an unruly figure in Taiwanese politics, has courted controversy with his bold rhetoric and outlandish ideas in his election campaign. He has been described as a “gaffe machine” and starred in a rap video in his 2018 re-election bid.
After his defeat in the presidential election, he vowed not to give up on his political career, and was expected to seek the presidency again in 2028. But it remains to be seen whether his party will be able to recover from the wave of prosecutions.
Ko’s arrest sparked protests from his allies and supporters, who accused the Democratic Progressive Party of using the charges to suppress its opponents.