Taiwan's High Court has begun the appeal in the political donations and breach-of-trust case against former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je, and the first day went badly for him as a co-defendant switched to a guilty plea.

• The court split the case and started with the political donations and the Mu Ke public relations company, not the Core Pacific land deal.
• Accountant Tuan Mu Cheng, who signed off on campaign accounts, reversed course and pleaded guilty, asking for a lighter sentence or probation.
• Ko's campaign finance chief Lee Wen-tsung is wavering on a breach-of-trust charge over foundation money used to pay party staff salaries, and may plead guilty too.
• Ko denies everything, accuses prosecutors of deciding the verdict first and then building the case, and wants the hearings broadcast live.
• Both sides have brought in heavyweight legal teams — prosecutors who handled the Ma Ying-jeou case against a defense stacked with former judges and prosecutors.

Outlook: If Lee pleads guilty and the court finds Ko acted jointly with him, Ko could face immediate imprisonment, which would hit the Taiwan People's Party hard heading into elections.