Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo spent Tuesday night at the Monrovia Central Prison after Criminal Court ‘C’ rejected the surety bonds filed on her behalf and ordered her to post an US$8 million criminal appearance bond before she can be released.
Before being taken into custody, Bundoo briefly addressed reporters outside the courtroom.
“You know, honestly, for some time now I decided not to talk. But at this point, I can only say all glory belongs to God. I came here on my own, even before my lawyer arrived, and now I’m waiting, ready. To God alone be the glory,” she said.
Judge Osuman F. Feikai handed down the ruling on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, after hearing arguments on Bundoo’s motion to justify her sureties and the prosecution’s objections to the property bonds submitted by her legal team.
Bundoo faces multiple charges, including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, misuse of public property or records, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation. The charges were filed by the Republic of Liberia through the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice.
The court had previously given Bundoo 72 hours to submit new surety bonds after rejecting those initially filed.
In response, her lawyers presented two property bonds-one valued at US$240,000 in the name of Kai Garlo Farley and another valued at US$350,000 in the name of John Moses Gbetee.
Prosecutors argued that the bonds failed to satisfy the requirements of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law and were insufficient considering the gravity of the charges.
In his ruling, Judge Feikai found that Gbetee’s property could not be accepted because it had already been pledged as security in several other court cases.
“The property offered by Mr. John Moses Gbetee as a criminal appearance bond for co-defendant Nora Finda Bundoo is heavily encumbered. The encumbrances already placed on the property exceed its stated value of US$350, 000,” the judge ruled.
Court records showed that the same property had been used to secure bonds in multiple cases, with combined obligations exceeding US$2.4 million. Judge Feikai said the law does not permit property already burdened by existing bond obligations to be reused as security.
The court also found that the combined value of the two properties, US$590,000-fell far short of the amount required guaranteeing Bundoo’s appearance before the court.
While acknowledging that the Constitution guarantees the right to bail, Judge Feikai emphasized that the value of a criminal appearance bond must be proportionate to the seriousness of the charges.
He subsequently rejected Gbetee’s property bond and ordered Bundoo to file an US$8 million criminal appearance bond before she can regain her freedom.
The court further instructed the Sheriff to immediately remand Bundoo to the Monrovia Central Prison. It also ordered that if she is found outside the court’s jurisdiction without satisfying the bond requirement, a writ of arrest should be issued for her apprehension.
The ruling marks another significant development in the government’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, as prosecutors continue pursuing high-profile financial crimes under the asset recovery initiative led by AREPT and the Ministry of Justice.
