Accountant Duan Muzheng changed his plea in the second trial of the KMT political donation case and his daughter Duanmu Ruiying joined the legal team

Duanmu Zheng asked his daughter Duanmu Ruiying (front) to join the legal team during the second trial, and later became lawyer Ye Jianwei. (Photo by reporter Yang Xinhui)

Ke Wenzhe, the former chairman of the People's Party, was sentenced to 17 years in the first instance for his involvement in the Beijing City and political donation cases. The case is currently being appealed to the High Court. Duan Muzheng, the accountant who was in charge of the inspection of political donations at Ke Wenzhe's campaign headquarters at the time, was accused of knowingly knowing that the declaration content was wrong, but still issued an inspection report that found no illegal activities, and published 8 false expenditures. He was sentenced in the first instance to one year in prison for forging documents. Duanmu Zheng changed his plea to guilty in the second trial and changed three lawyers. One of the new members of the legal team was his daughter Duanmu Ruiying. However, Duanmu Ruiying did not speak at the last session of the High Court and today.

Regarding the political donation case, Ke Wenzhe instructed his cronies Li Wenzong and his sister Li Wenjuan to set up Muke Company to misappropriate more than 67.34 million yuan in political donations. In addition, he even misappropriated more than 8.27 million yuan in public funds from the Zhongwang Foundation. However, Duanmuzheng assisted in the crime and registered 8 false transaction expenditures without verification. Duanmuzheng was sentenced to 1 year in prison for the crime of publishing false and accurate documents in the first instance business. Li Wenjuan was sentenced to 2 years for the crime of joint public welfare embezzlement. August was charged with filling in false accounting vouchers and should be executed in April of 2 years.

Duanmuzheng denied committing the crime during the investigation and first trial, but changed his plea to guilty after appealing. He appointed his daughter, who had just obtained lawyer qualifications in 2024, to defend him, and fought for a changed sentence, a fine, and a suspended sentence.

The High Court held a hearing today and only summoned Duanmuzheng to attend the court. However, he left the whole process to the lawyer team to speak and did not speak himself. Duanmu Zheng's daughter Duanmu Ruiying also appeared in court as a defender today, but the main statement was made by lawyer Ye Jianwei in court, and Duanmu Ruiying did not express much opinion.

After the hearing, Duanmu Ruiying walked out of the court first, and Duanmu Zhengze followed the lawyer.