Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo has made a third attempt to satisfy the bail requirements imposed by Criminal Court “C”, filing a new US$8 million criminal insurance bond backed by two insurance companies after previous bond arrangements were rejected by the court.
According to documents filed before Criminal Court “C”, the latest criminal appearance bond is underwritten by two insurance providers, with US$2 million guaranteed by the American Underwriter Group and the remaining US$6 million provided by ACICO Insurance Company.
The latest filing represents Bundoo’s third effort to comply with the court’s bail requirements in the high-profile corruption and asset recovery case being prosecuted by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice.
Court records show that Bundoo’s initial bond was challenged by prosecutors during a motion to justify sureties, who argued that the pledged properties and sureties did not satisfy the legal requirements governing criminal appearance bonds. After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Ousman F. Feika rejected the original bond and granted the defense 72 hours to file a replacement.
The defense subsequently filed a second bond package supported by property valuation bonds. However, prosecutors again objected, arguing that one of the properties had already been pledged in several other court proceedings and was heavily encumbered. Following review, Judge Feika ruled that the property could not lawfully support the bond because its existing obligations exceeded its declared value.
The court further held that the combined value of the second bond package fell far below what it considered sufficient in light of the seriousness of the allegations. Judge Feika therefore disqualified the bond, fixed Bundoo’s bail at US$8 million, and ordered that she remain in custody unless she produced an acceptable criminal appearance bond.
In response to that ruling, Bundoo’s legal team has now submitted a third bond package, this time relying on insurance guarantees rather than property sureties. According to the filing, the bond is divided between two insurers, with the American Underwriter Group assuming liability for US$2 million and ACICO Insurance Company guaranteeing the remaining US$6 million, bringing the total security to the court-ordered US$8 million.
Under Liberian law, a criminal appearance bond serves as a guarantee that an accused person will appear before the court whenever required. If approved by the court, the bond allows the defendant to remain at liberty pending trial, subject to all conditions imposed by the court.
The newly filed insurance bond is expected to undergo judicial scrutiny to determine whether it fully complies with Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law and whether the participating insurers possess the legal capacity and financial standing to guarantee the amount pledged.
Prosecutors from AREPT and the Ministry of Justice are also expected to review the bond before the court decides whether to approve or reject the latest filing.
Bundoo, a former senior official in the administration of former President George Weah, is among dozens of defendants facing charges including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation. She has denied all allegations, and the case remains pending before Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice.
