Ko Wen-je, once a rising star in Taiwanese politics and a presidential candidate, was indicted Thursday on corruption charges.
The 65-year-old is accused of accepting half a million dollars in bribes involving a real estate deal during his tenure as mayor of Taipei, as well as misreporting campaign finances during his January bid for president.
Prosecutors are seeking up to 28.5 years in prison.
The indictment against Ko deals a decisive blow to the political movement he represents, which has appealed to voters seeking an alternative to the ruling Democratic People's Party and the main opposition Kuomintang.
Ko, who has denied the corruption allegations, was arrested in September and detained.
Prosecutors said Thursday that he was among 11 people being prosecuted. Several other members of his Taiwan People's Party have also been accused of embezzling political donations.
A dark horse in the presidential election in JanuaryKo won more than 25% of the vote – not far behind ruling party candidate Lai Ching-te's 40%.
Observers said at the time that although Koh came in last among the three presidential candidates, his significant results pointed to voters' demand for a more pluralistic political landscape outside the two major parties.
Ko rose to prominence by branding himself as the third choice outside of the two main parties. He criticized the DPP for stoking tensions with Beijing, which sees the self-ruled island as its territory, but also accused the KMT of being too deferential.
After supporting protesters during the 2014 Beijing Sunflower Movement, 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 relations with mainland China.
Long known as a wildcard in Taiwanese politicsKo caused controversy with his brash rhetoric and outlandish campaign ideas. He has been described as a “blunder 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 his political career and was expected to run for president again in 2028. But it remains to be seen whether his party can recover from the wave of prosecutions.
Ko's arrest sparked protests from his allies and supporters, who accused the DPP of using the charges to suppress opponents.