TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan High Court on Friday (Sept. 6) rejected appeals by developer Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京), ex-Taipei City Deputy Mayor Pong Cheng-sheng (彭振聲), and the aide to a local politician in the Core Pacific City development corruption case. 

This means they will remain detained for at least two months.

In the same case, former Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) spoke with his attorneys Friday, but it was unknown whether he would appeal against his detention. The Taipei District Court on Thursday (Sept. 5) overturned an earlier decision not to detain Ko.

Core Pacific Group Chair Sheen was accused of paying NT$47 million (US$1.47 million) in bribes to Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councillor Angela Ying (應曉薇) to help him win approval from Ko’s administration for a drastic expansion of the floor area ratio for his Core Pacific City project. He asked the High Court to overturn his detention, but the judge said Friday that Sheen had already returned to the detention center after medical care and was not seriously ill, per CNA.

The court also rejected an appeal by Ying’s aide Wu Shun-min (吳順民) against his detention, saying there were no grounds for setting him free. Ying, who has also been detained, lodged her appeal on Friday, with the High Court saying it had been received. The court also rejected her case later on Friday evening.

As to former Deputy Mayor Pong, the court said suspicions against him were strong, while the accusations of corruption against him carried a prison sentence of at least five years. Since the risk he would destroy evidence or collude with other suspects was high, Pong should remain detained, the High Court confirmed Friday.

Ko, who was detained Thursday evening, conducted meetings with his attorneys Friday, per Radio Taiwan International. One of the lawyers told reporters that they would consider later whether to file an appeal against the former mayor’s detention.