By Amos Harris
The high-profile corruption case involving former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo has taken another dramatic turn. The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice have formally challenged her newly filed US$8 million criminal appearance bond, arguing that Criminal Court “C” lacks the legal authority to entertain the matter while it remains pending before the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Bundoo’s latest submission represents her third attempt to satisfy the bail conditions imposed by Criminal Court “C” in the ongoing Gracious Ride case. The US$8 million bond is backed by two insurance entities, featuring a US$2 million guarantee from American Underwriter Group and a US$6 million guarantee from ACICO Insurance Company.
This latest legal friction follows Criminal Court “C”‘s rejection of Bundoo’s two prior bond submissions. The court dismissed her initial bond over serious concerns regarding the validity of the sureties. Her second attempt was turned down after investigators discovered that one of the properties offered as collateral had already been heavily encumbered and pledged across multiple unrelated court proceedings.
Following those rulings, the court formally fixed Bundoo’s bail at US$8 million and ordered her rearrest until an acceptable, legally sound bond could be secured. While the newly submitted US$8 million filing was intended to satisfy those requirements, it has immediately triggered a fresh round of legal opposition.
In response to the submission, AREPT filed a Motion to Refuse Jurisdiction, maintaining that Criminal Court “C” cannot legally recognize or rule on the newly submitted bond while the broader dispute over bail conditions is actively being reviewed by the Justice in Chambers of the Supreme Court. The Taskforce warned that allowing the lower court to act concurrently could lead to contradictory judicial rulings.
AREPT pointed out that Bundoo herself had previously appealed Criminal Court “C”‘s bail rulings to the Supreme Court. In response to that petition, the high court summoned all parties to a conference to review the legality of the lower court’s decisions and granted Bundoo temporary release under specific conditions pending judicial review.
The Taskforce stressed that its latest motion does not seek to deny Bundoo her constitutional right to bail. Instead, the group argued, the motion is intended to preserve the integrity of Liberia’s judicial process by preventing a subordinate court from taking action on matters currently under consideration by the nation’s highest tribunal.
This ongoing jurisdictional battle adds yet another layer of complexity to one of Liberia’s most prominent anti-corruption cases. The validity of Bundoo’s third bond package is now expected to serve as a key battleground as both Criminal Court “C” and the Supreme Court weigh the competing legal arguments.
Bundoo and several co-defendants remain under indictment on multiple serious charges, including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public funds, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation. All defendants have denied the charges, and no court has issued a verdict of guilt. The criminal proceedings remain pending before the appropriate judicial bodies.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the case continues to draw extensive public interest across Liberia, with observers closely watching how the courts resolve the jurisdictional deadlock and shape the next phase of the prosecution.
