Yikun Zhang, Shijia (Colin) Zheng and Hengjia (Joe) Zheng face charges in relation to both the Labour and National party donations cases.
The former Labour Party general secretary began digging through emails in February 2020 days after three businessmen were charged over National Party donations, a court heard.
The Crown’s case is sham donors were used and put forward by men on the inside of both the National and Labour parties to disguise the true donor – businessman Yikun Zhang, who was then given a royal honour.
Former National MP Jami-Lee Ross and three businessmen – Yikun Zhang, Shija (Colin) Zheng and Hengjia (Joe) Zheng – have all denied charges relating to National Party donations.
Zhang and the two Zheng brothers also face charges alongside two men and a woman, who have interim name suppression, in relation to election donations made to the Labour Party in 2017.
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* Trio accused in Labour Party donations case continue to seek name suppression ahead of trial
* Businessmen charged with making unlawful donations to Labour and National named
* National and Labour Party donations fraud trials to be heard together
Andre Anderson was the general secretary for the Labour Party from 2018 to 2020.
He told the High Court at Auckland on Monday, after name suppression lapsed for Zhang, the Zheng brothers and Ross in February 2020 after charges were laid, they were asked by media if there were any double ups.
“There was public interest in if Labour had received donations from the same donors,” Anderson said.
JASON DORDAY/STUFF
Independent MP Jami-Lee Ross, the former National MP for Botany, arrives at the Auckland District Court to face fraud charges. (FIRST PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2020)
During Anderson’s inquiries he found two of those charged for National donations had also donated to the Labour Party in 2017.
They were the Zheng brothers.
On February 19, 2020, Anderson texted one of the defendants with name suppression.
“Hi [name suppression], the donors to the Nats who’ve been charged in Court say they’ve given donations to other parties. Am checking our records can you remember any donations or large purchases from any of them? Thanks.”
The man with name suppression replied: “Not after the 2017 GE. Before that yes and Nigel, Andrew, [name suppression] and I were careful in ensuring our records were accurate. Have you run through our records and shall we do it again, jointly.”
Tom Hunt/Stuff
Former general secretary Andre Anderson said he began looking through emails after the National charges.
Anderson then asks the man what happened in 2017.
He then sent a media statement out saying the Labour Party received money from two people facing charges in relation to the National Party, but the donations were above board.
Under cross-examination by Rosemary Thomson acting for Hengjia Zheng, Anderson denied the Labour Party acted to avoid potential political scandal.
Anderson said the party was concerned with being open and transparent with the public about donations.
In the media statement Anderson sent out, he said Hengjia Zheng was an office holder of the Chao Shan Association which Zhang was a president.
”Are you now aware not only Joe Zheng was not an office holder of the Chao Shan Association, but he wasn’t even a member?” Thomas said.
Anderson said he did not know.
The trial before Justice Ian Gault continues.
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