Former Taiwanese Presidential Candidate Released After Being Questioned in Graft Probe

Ko was named in May as one of the suspects in an alleged corruption case.

Taiwan People's Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je gestures on stage during a TPP protest against Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Taiwanese President-elect Lai Ching-te and Vice President-elect Hsiao Bi-khim in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 19, 2024. Yasuyoshi CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images

TAIPEI, Taiwan—A local court released a former Taiwanese presidential candidate on Sept. 2, two days after he was arrested as part of a graft investigation.

Ko Wen-je, who finished third in January’s presidential election as a candidate from the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), was arrested on Aug. 31 after Taiwan’s Agency Against Corruption questioned him for hours. On Aug. 30, prosecutors searched his residence and the party’s headquarters.