Monrovia – Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo was released from the Monrovia Central Prison on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after her incarceration, after Supreme Court Justice in Chambers Yussif D. Kaba intervened and ordered her temporary release while reviewing the legality of the lower court’s decision.
By Willie N. Tokpah
Bundoo walked out of the prison to cheers from hundreds of supporters, who sang and chanted her name following the issuance of the Supreme Court’s order temporarily halting the enforcement of Criminal Court “C”’s decision that had remanded her into custody.
The order, signed by Supreme Court Clerk Cllr. Sam Mamulu on the authority of Justice Kaba, directed Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman F. Feika to immediately release Bundoo into the custody of her legal team pending the Supreme Court’s determination of her petition for a writ of prohibition.
In the same order, Justice Kaba cited Judge Feika to appear before him at a conference on Tuesday, August 4, at 3:00 p.m., to explain the legal basis for Bundoo’s incarceration and respond to the allegations raised in her petition.
As conditions for her release, the Supreme Court ordered Bundoo to surrender her passport to the sheriff of Criminal Court “C” and remain under the jurisdiction of the court until the prohibition proceedings are concluded. She was released into the custody of her lawyers, Cllr. M. Watkins Wright and Cllr. Abraham Wade Simpson.
The Supreme Court’s intervention came just hours after Bundoo’s legal team petitioned the Court, arguing that Judge Feika violated both statutory procedures and her constitutional rights by rejecting her criminal appearance bond, denying her the statutory opportunity to perfect the bond, and imposing a US$8 million bail requirement that they described as excessive and unconstitutional.
A writ of prohibition is an extraordinary legal remedy through which the Supreme Court may suspend proceedings in a lower court where it is alleged that the judge has acted beyond the scope of his lawful authority or jurisdiction.
Earlier Tuesday, Judge Feika rejected two property valuation bonds submitted by Bundoo’s sureties, ruling that the combined collateral—valued at approximately US$590,000—was insufficient given the nature of the charges. The court subsequently ordered Bundoo re-arrested and committed to the Monrovia Central Prison after setting bail at US$8 million.
In their emergency petition, Bundoo’s lawyers argued that the trial court exceeded its authority by ordering her immediate imprisonment without first allowing the 72-hour statutory period provided under Liberian law for a defendant to justify, replace, or perfect a rejected bond. They further contended that the multimillion-dollar bail violated Article 21 of the Liberian Constitution, which prohibits excessive bail.
The defense also stressed that Bundoo voluntarily returned to Liberia after receiving medical treatment abroad and willingly submitted herself to the court upon learning of the charges, arguing that her conduct demonstrated respect for the judicial process and that she posed no flight risk.
Bundoo’s petition names Judge Feika as the first respondent and the Republic of Liberia as the second respondent, represented by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), headed by Cllr. Edwin K. Martin, along with the Ministry of Justice.
The Supreme Court’s order does not dismiss the criminal charges against Bundoo or amount to an acquittal. Instead, it temporarily suspends the enforcement of Judge Feika’s incarceration order while the justices consider whether the trial court acted within the law.
Bundoo remains one of several former government officials indicted by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force and the Ministry of Justice on allegations including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, and related corruption offenses. She has pleaded not guilty, and the charges remain pending before Criminal Court “C”.
The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling on the prohibition petition is expected to clarify important legal questions regarding criminal appearance bonds, defendants’ procedural rights, constitutional limits on bail, and the supervisory authority of the Supreme Court over lower courts. It could also set a significant precedent for future high-profile corruption prosecutions in Liberia.
