A Taiwanese court has sentenced former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je to 17 years in prison for corruption, dealing a significant blow to the opposition party he built. Ko did not plead guilty and has been a member of the third-largest party in Taiwanese politics, the Taiwan People's Party. The ruling is seen as a major setback for the party.

Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Thursday for taking bribes and misusing political donations, dealing a heavy blow to the opposition party he built. Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) in 2019 and finished last in a three-way race for the island’s top political job in 2024, did not plead guilty, according to Taiwanese media reports. The TPP is the third-biggest party in Taiwanese politics and has been in talks with the larger Kuomintang (KMT) to...