National Party donations: MP Jami-Lee Ross back in High Court on SFO charges

Independent MP Jami-Lee Ross has appeared in the High Court at Auckland this morning on charges relating to National Party donations.

The Botany MP made his first appearance in the District Court in February and the case was transferred up to the higher jurisdiction for today's date.

Ross and three businessmen have all pleaded not guilty to allegations about two $100,000 donations to the National Party.

Businessmen Yikun Zhang, 48, Shijia (Colin) Zheng, 34, and Hengjia (Joe) Zheng, 34, also appeared in the High Court this morning before Justice Simon Moore.

The charges were laid by the Serious Fraud Office.

The investigation was prompted by Ross going public with allegations against National leader Simon Bridges - which Bridges adamantly denied.

Ross then laid a complaint with police, which sparked the SFO inquiry that led to him being charged.

Today's appearance was a trial review hearing.

A trial date was set for September next year.

It is estimated to take six weeks.

Ross has previously told media he was "never been involved in any deception to do with donations".

"I was the whistleblower. I still consider that I was right to raise the concerns," he said in February.

"There is no own goal."

Yikun Zhang, Shijia (Colin) Zheng, Hengjia (Joe) Zheng and Jami-Lee Ross when they appeared in the Auckland District Court earlier this year. Photo / Jason Oxenham