Monrovia, Liberia – July 21, 2026 – Criminal Court “C” has revoked the criminal appearance bond of former Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo, ordered her immediate arrest, and increased the amount required for her release on bail to US$8 million, after determining that one of the properties pledged as security was already heavily encumbered and therefore legally insufficient under Liberian law.
The ruling, delivered Tuesday by Presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika, represents another significant development in the high-profile corruption and financial crimes case involving Bundoo and several other former government officials indicted over the alleged misappropriation and laundering of public funds.
In a detailed opinion, Judge Feika ruled that a US$350,000 property valuation bond submitted by John Moses Gbetee, one of Bundoo’s proposed sureties, failed to satisfy the requirements of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law because the property had already been pledged to secure numerous criminal appearance bonds in other pending cases.
As a consequence, the court revoked Bundoo’s existing bond and ordered that she be taken into custody pending the filing and approval of a legally sufficient replacement bond.
Court Orders Immediate Arrest
Judge Feika instructed the Sheriff of Criminal Court “C” to immediately arrest Bundoo if she was present in court at the time the ruling was issued. Should she not be within the court’s immediate jurisdiction, the Clerk of Court was ordered to issue a writ of arrest directing law enforcement authorities to apprehend her.
The court further ordered that Bundoo remain detained at the Monrovia Central Prison until she files a valid criminal appearance bond that fully complies with Liberian law.
The judge simultaneously fixed a new bail requirement of US$8 million, significantly increasing the amount required for her temporary release while criminal proceedings continue.
Property Already Used in 20 Other Cases
According to the court’s findings, the property offered by Gbetee had already been pledged as surety in 20 separate criminal cases, creating outstanding bond obligations totaling approximately US$2,426,500.
Although the property itself was valued at US$350,000, the court found that the cumulative liabilities secured against it far exceeded its assessed value.
Judge Feika concluded that because the property was already substantially encumbered, it could no longer provide adequate security for Bundoo’s appearance before the court.
“The existing obligations exceed the declared value of the property,” the court essentially found, rendering the asset legally incapable of securing another criminal appearance bond.
Court Says Bond Violated Liberian Law
In reaching his decision, Judge Feika cited Chapter 63, Section 63.2(2) of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, which requires that any real property pledged as security for a criminal appearance bond must have an assessed value equal to the amount being secured and must not already be burdened by prior encumbrances that undermine its value.
The court ruled that accepting Gbetee’s property despite its existing liabilities would directly violate the statutory safeguards governing criminal appearance bonds.
Judge Feika further observed that the second property valuation bond submitted by Kai Garlo Farley, valued at US$240,000, did little to remedy the deficiency.
Combined, the two properties carried an assessed value of approximately US$590,000—an amount the court concluded was grossly inadequate considering the seriousness of the charges outlined in the indictment.
Constitution Guarantees Bail—But Requires Adequate Security
The ruling emphasized that while Article 21(i) of the Liberian Constitution guarantees every accused person the right to bail, that constitutional protection is not absolute.
Rather, the Constitution requires that bail be “sufficient” in light of the gravity of the alleged offense.
Judge Feika also relied on Chapter 13, Section 13.2 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which provides that for offenses punishable by both imprisonment and monetary fines, the amount of bail should correspond to the total statutory penalties authorized by law.
The court concluded that the previously submitted property bonds failed to provide the level of security contemplated by both the Constitution and Liberia’s criminal procedure statutes.
Second Bond Rejected in Less Than Three Weeks
Tuesday’s ruling follows an earlier setback for Bundoo.
On July 3, 2026, Criminal Court “C” rejected her initial criminal appearance bond after determining that the proposed sureties did not meet the legal qualifications required under Liberian law.
At that time, Judge Feika granted Bundoo 72 hours to submit replacement sureties capable of satisfying the court’s requirements.
In response, Gbetee and Farley filed new property valuation bonds worth US$350,000 and US$240,000, respectively.
However, prosecutors challenged the validity of both properties through a Bill of Exceptions, arguing that neither satisfied the statutory requirements governing criminal appearance bonds.
Bundoo’s legal team subsequently filed a Motion to Justify Sureties, asking the court to uphold the proposed bond.
Following arguments from both sides and a review of the supporting evidence, Judge Feika ultimately sided with the prosecution, revoked the disputed bond, and fixed a substantially higher bail amount.
Part of Major Financial Crimes Prosecution
Bundoo is among several former government officials indicted by the Montserrado County Grand Jury on allegations including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, property or records, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation.
According to court records, the indictment was returned on November 5, 2025, but Bundoo was not served with the writ of arrest until June 9, 2026, following her return to Liberia from abroad.
The criminal proceedings stem from an ongoing investigation into the alleged diversion and misuse of public resources by former officials.
The prosecution is being spearheaded by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, as part of the Boakai administration’s broader effort to recover allegedly stolen public assets and prosecute corruption-related offenses.
Tuesday’s ruling represents another significant procedural victory for the prosecution as the court continues to scrutinize compliance with Liberia’s bail laws in one of the country’s most closely watched financial crimes cases.
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