MONROVIA – A legal showdown appears imminent between the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) and two prominent figures, Madam Nora Finda Bundoo and Mr. Francis Tuain Blamo, after their legal counsel rejected a summons for questioning and instead called for the matter to be handled through the courts.
In a formal letter dated April 16, 2025, Cllr. Abraham Wade Simpson of Simpson Consultancy, LLC, acting on behalf of Bundoo and Blamo, informed AREPT Chairman Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin of his clients’ refusal to appear before the Task Force at its office located at the Golden Key Hotel on April 17.
Cllr. Simpson challenged the legitimacy and timing of the summons, pointing out that the Task Force had already suggested it possessed damning evidence against his clients. Given this, he argued, the matter should be turned over to the judiciary.
“We respectfully request that the alleged evidence be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction so that our clients may confront it under the rule of law,” Simpson stated.
The letter underscored that this position is grounded in Liberia’s Constitution and Criminal Procedure Law, specifically referencing Article 21 and Sections 2.1 and 2.3. Simpson maintained that the legal route is the appropriate forum for any such proceedings, emphasizing that his clients’ refusal to appear before the Task Force is not an attempt to obstruct justice.
“This is a good faith request intended to ensure transparency and prevent any miscarriage of justice,” he noted.
As it stands, Bundoo and Blamo have made it clear through legal representation that they will not appear before AREPT for questioning, but are fully prepared to defend themselves in court.
