Ko Wen-je, once a rising star in Taiwanese politics and presidential candidate, was indicted on Thursday for corruption.
The 65-year-old is accused of accepting half a million dollars in bribes in a real estate deal during his tenure as Taipei mayor, as well as making false statements about his campaign finances during his presidential campaign in January.
Prosecutors are seeking up to 28.5 years in prison.
Ko's indictment is a crucial blow to the political movement he represents, which has struck a chord with voters seeking an alternative to the ruling Democratic People's Party and the main opposition Kuomintang.
Ko, who has denied corruption allegations, was arrested in September and detained.
Prosecutors said Thursday he was among 11 people facing charges. Several other members of his Taiwan People's Party were also indicted for misappropriation of political donations.
A dark horse in January's presidential election, Ko won more than 25 percent of the vote, just behind ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te's 40 percent.
Observers said at the time that although Ko came in last among the three presidential candidates, his strong performance spoke to voters' demand for a more pluralistic political landscape beyond the two main parties.
Ko rose to prominence by presenting himself as a third choice beyond the two main parties. He criticized the DPP for stoking tensions with Beijing, which considers the self-governing island its territory, but also criticized the KMT 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 appeared to change and he expanded Taipei's relations with mainland China.
Long known as a wild card in Taiwanese politics, Ko has stirred controversy with his brash rhetoric and out-of-the-box campaign ideas. He has been described as a “gaffe machine” and starred in a rap video during his 2018 re-election bid.
After his defeat in the presidential election, he pledged not to abandon his political career and is expected to run for president again in 2028. But it remains to be seen whether his party can recover from the wave of lawsuits.
Ko's arrest sparked protests from his allies and supporters, who accused the DPP of using the charges to suppress its opponents.
