Taiwan's High Court held the first hearing in former Taipei mayor 
Ko Wen-je's appeal on September 8, starting with the political donations case. Ko, sentenced to 17 years at first instance in March over the Core Pacific City and political donations cases, maintained his innocence and asked the court to overturn the ruling, PTS reported. Seven defendants and prosecutors had appealed.
Ko walked into the court surrounded by dozens of supporters chanting for him. The preparatory session summoned him along with Lee Wen-tsung, his 2024 campaign finance chief, former Muko Co head Lee Wen-chuan and accountant Duanmu Cheng to establish whether they would plead guilty. Ko and Lee Wen-chuan entered not-guilty pleas, and Lee Wen-tsung said he would consider whether to plead guilty depending on the scope prosecutors set out; only Duanmu pleaded guilty, asking for a lighter sentence.
Prosecutors said Ko, Lee Wen-tsung, Lee Wen-chuan and others embezzled more than NT$60 million in political donations, eroding the credibility of the donations system, and that the first-instance court failed to weigh this fully and imposed a sentence that was clearly too light. They are also contesting the acquittal of Ko and others over NT$1 million in donations invested in a company of Chiu Fu-sheng, saying political donations cannot be used for profit. Ko said prosecutors wanted every acquittal turned into a conviction and every conviction into a heavier sentence, appealing to the end. "Up to now, the prosecutors cannot give a legal reason for the embezzlement of political donations," he said. "Why would I embezzle my own political donations?"
Taiwan People's Party chairman Huang Kuo-chang said the session was not meant for substantive argument, only for prosecutors to set out the scope of their appeal and the evidence they would offer, and that preparatory proceedings on this part would run to about three sessions. Of Ko's four charges, breach of trust drew the lightest first-instance term, two years and six months, and in principle cannot be taken to a third instance, so a conviction on it by the High Court could become final first and send him to prison, PTS reported.
Figures referenced: Ko Wen-je. — JudgeMarket.
