- Legal Debate
The Former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol, Nora Finda Bundoo, has been released from the Monrovia Central Prison after Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, Yusuf D. Kabbah, granted a writ of prohibition, preventing her continued detention pending further judicial review.
Bundoo’s lawyers have convinced the Justice in Chambers by arguing 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 maintained that the multimillion-dollar bail requirement violates Article 21 of the Liberian Constitution, which prohibits excessive bail.
Bundoo walked out of the Monrovia Central Prison following the issuance of the Justice in Chambers’ order, which temporarily halts the enforcement of the lower court’s decision that had remanded her into custody after rejecting her criminal appearance bond.
The latest development comes just hours after Bundoo’s legal team petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing that Criminal Court “C” violated both statutory procedures and her constitutional rights by rejecting her appearance bond, denying her the statutory opportunity to perfect the bond, and imposing a US$8 million bail requirement, which the defense described as excessive and unconstitutional.
Earlier, Assigned Circuit Judge, Ousman F. Feika, had ordered Bundoo remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison after rejecting two property valuation bonds presented by her sureties.
The court ruled that the combined security, valued at approximately US$590,000, was insufficient in light of the charges against her and subsequently fixed bail at US$8 million.
The defense also emphasized that Bundoo voluntarily returned to Liberia after receiving medical treatment abroad and willingly submitted herself to the jurisdiction of the court upon learning of the charges. They argued that her conduct demonstrated respect for the judicial process and that she posed no flight risk.
Justice Yusuf D. Kabbah’s decision to grant the writ of prohibition effectively suspends the enforcement of the lower court’s detention order while the Supreme Court considers the substantive legal issues raised in the petition.
Bundoo remains one of several former government officials indicted by the Assets 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 the courts.
The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling on the prohibition petition is expected to clarify important questions regarding the handling of criminal appearance bonds, defendants’ procedural rights, and constitutional limits on bail in high-profile corruption prosecutions.
Bundoo’s release marks a development in one of Liberia’s most closely watched legal cases, with further proceedings expected before the Supreme Court and Criminal Court “C” in the coming days.
