MONROVIA – Former Chief of Protocol to ex-President Nora Finda Bundoo has filed a new US$8 million criminal appearance bond, marking her third attempt to secure release from prosecution after the first two bonds were rejected by the court over legal deficiencies.
By: Willie N. Tokpah
The latest bond, filed before Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, is underwritten by two insurance companies. American Underwriters Group has provided coverage of US$2 million, while ACICO Insurance Company has underwritten the remaining US$6 million, bringing the total value of the bond to the court-required threshold of US$8 million.
The new filing comes after prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice, together with lawyers representing the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce, AREPT, successfully challenged Bundoo’s previous two bonds, arguing that they failed to satisfy the legal requirements governing criminal appearance bonds.
Court records show that the prosecution maintained that the earlier sureties and property-backed guarantees were defective and could not adequately secure the defendant’s appearance during trial.
The latest bond is now expected to undergo judicial scrutiny before Criminal Court “C”, where Judge Ousman Feika will determine whether it complies with Liberia’s insurance and criminal procedure laws.
Bundoo is facing multiple criminal charges arising from an ongoing corruption investigation linked to her tenure at the Executive Mansion.
Prosecutors have accused her of economic sabotage, money laundering, theft of property, forgery, criminal conspiracy, misuse of public money, and abuse of office, allegations she has consistently denied.
The former presidential aide has remained at the center of a prolonged legal battle over her eligibility for bail, with courtroom proceedings largely dominated by disputes over the validity of her appearance bonds rather than the merits of the criminal charges.
Earlier this year, the court rejected her first criminal appearance bond after prosecutors argued that it failed to meet statutory requirements.
A second bond was also set aside following additional objections by the prosecution and AREPT, prompting the defense to prepare and file the present insurance-backed bond.
The repeated bond challenges have significantly delayed the commencement of the substantive criminal trial, as the court has been required to first determine whether the defendant has met the legal conditions for release pending trial.
During previous proceedings, state lawyers argued that strict compliance with Liberia’s bail laws is essential, particularly in corruption and financial crimes involving millions of dollars in alleged public losses.
Defense lawyers, however, have maintained that Bundoo is entitled to bail under the Constitution and have insisted that each revised bond was intended to address concerns raised by the prosecution.
The case has attracted considerable public attention because it forms part of the Boakai administration’s broader anti-corruption drive targeting former public officials accused of misappropriating government resources.
With the filing of the third US$8 million criminal appearance bond, attention now shifts to Criminal Court “C”, where Judge Feika is expected to determine whether the latest insurance-backed guarantee satisfies the legal requirements or whether Bundoo will once again be required to submit a new bond before she can be admitted to bail.
A ruling on the bond is expected following arguments from both the defense and the prosecution.
