MONROVIA: Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol, Nora Finda Bundoo, has launched a third attempt to secure her release from detention, filing a fresh US$8 million criminal appearance bond backed by two insurance companies after Criminal Court "C" rejected her two previous bail packages for failing to meet legal requirements.
The latest filing marks another critical twist in the high-profile corruption and asset recovery case, as Bundoo seeks to satisfy the stringent bail conditions imposed by Resident Judge Ousman F. Feika following repeated objections by state prosecutors.
According to court records, the newly filed criminal appearance bond is underwritten by two insurance firms. American Underwriters Group has guaranteed US$2 million, while ACICO Insurance Company has undertaken liability for the remaining US$6 million, bringing the total bond to the court-ordered US$8 million.
The insurance-backed bond replaces Bundoo's earlier property-based sureties, both of which were successfully challenged by prosecutors representing the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice.
The prosecution initially moved to justify the sureties, arguing that the pledged properties failed to satisfy the legal requirements governing criminal appearance bonds.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Feika rejected the first bond and granted the defense 72 hours to file a replacement.
The defense subsequently submitted a second bond package supported by real estate valuation documents. However, prosecutors again objected, contending that one of the properties had already been pledged in several other court proceedings and was heavily encumbered.
Following a review of the evidence, Judge Feika ruled that the property could not lawfully serve as security because its existing obligations exceeded its declared value.
The court further determined that the combined value of the assets presented in the second bond package fell substantially below the amount required, considering the gravity of the criminal allegations.
Consequently, the court disqualified the bond, fixed Bundoo's bail at US$8 million, and ordered that she remain in custody unless she produced a legally sufficient criminal appearance bond.
Determined to secure her release pending trial, Bundoo's legal team has now abandoned the property-backed approach and opted instead for insurance guarantees, a move that shifts the focus of judicial scrutiny from real estate valuations to the financial capacity and legal standing of the insurers.
Under Liberia's Criminal Procedure Law, a criminal appearance bond serves as a legal guarantee that an accused person will appear before the court whenever required.
Approval of the bond does not determine guilt or innocence but permits a defendant to remain at liberty while criminal proceedings continue, subject to conditions imposed by the court.
The latest bond is now expected to undergo rigorous judicial examination to determine whether it fully complies with the applicable provisions of Liberia's Criminal Procedure Law and whether the participating insurance companies possess the legal authority and financial capacity to underwrite such a substantial obligation.
State prosecutors are also expected to scrutinize the bond before presenting their position to the court on whether the latest surety satisfies all statutory requirements.
The court's ruling on the new filing will determine whether Bundoo is released pending trial or remains in custody as the criminal proceedings continue.
Bundoo, who served as Chief of Protocol during the administration of former President George Manneh Weah, is among several defendants facing multiple criminal charges, including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation.
She has denied all allegations. The matter remains pending before Criminal Court "C" at the Temple of Justice, where the prosecution continues to pursue one of Liberia's most closely watched public corruption cases.
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