Prosecution in the case involving Liberia’s Economist, Samuel Jackson, over the death of his wife has taken firm exception to the property valuation bond filed on behalf of Mr. Jackson, urging Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice to declare the bond invalid, defective, and legally unenforceable.
Appearing before the court, state prosecutor Randall D. M. O. Johnson challenged the capacity, adequacy, and authenticity of the US$20,000 bond approved on April 3, 2026, which facilitated Jackson’s temporary release from detention.
Johnson petitioned Presiding Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to immediately set aside the bond, arrest Jackson and his sureties, and hold them in custody pending a separate prosecution for allegedly presenting a fraudulent, unidentifiable, and illegally issued bond.
Prosecution cited serious legal defects, stating that the bond filed with Denco Liberia Inc. named as surety failed to meet mandatory legal standards, that include, lack of authorization from the Central Bank of Liberia, no approval from the Revenue Department of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, failure to comply with requirements established in the Supreme Court’s landmark decision Royal Pharmacy v. Sylla & Co. Bakery (1996).
The state emphasized that the bond lacked a valid Affidavit of Sureties, failed to properly identify the property placed as surety, and provided no record of liens, taxes, or assessed value, all mandatory components under the Liberian law. Prosecutors argued that the deed attached to the bond does not show whether the property belongs to Denco Liberia Inc.
The grantor of the property could not say whether the property was legally registered, probated, or even identifiable; Johnson described the document as a “purported deed,” lacking any details to trace ownership or verify legitimacy.
In a six-count petition, the prosecution urged the court to cancel, strike, quash, and dismiss the bond, calling on Judge Willie to investigate all parties involved in presenting the alleged fraudulent document, and hold Jackson and his sureties criminally liable if they fail to justify the bond’s authenticity.
The prosecution reminded the court that Liberian law empowers courts to investigate suspected fraud in bond filings and penalize individuals and companies that lack financial capacity or attempt to mislead the court. As the legal battle intensifies, Jackson, who recently secured temporary release based on the now-challenged bond, faces renewed risk of arrest pending the court’s decision on the prosecution’s petition.
