Monrovia – Criminal Court ‘C’ at the Temple of Justice has rejected the surety bonds submitted on behalf of former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo and ordered that she secure an US$8 million criminal appearance bond before being released.
Judge Osuman F. Feika handed down the ruling on Tuesday, July 21, following arguments on Bundoo’s motion to justify surety and the prosecution’s objection to the property valuation bonds filed by her legal team.
Bundoo is facing multiple charges, including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation in a case brought by the Government of Liberia through the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice.
The defense submitted two property bonds valued at US$240,000 and US$350,000. However, prosecutors argued that the bonds failed to satisfy the requirements of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law.
In his ruling, Judge Feika found that one of the properties had already been pledged as security in several other court cases, with existing encumbrances exceeding its declared value. He further ruled that the combined value of the two properties, totaling US$590,000, was insufficient considering the gravity of the charges.
The court disqualified the disputed property bond, set Bundoo’s bail at US$8 million, and ordered the Sheriff to take her into custody if she was present in court. If absent, the Clerk of Court was instructed to issue a writ of arrest pending the filing and approval of a valid criminal appearance bond.
