-Judge Ousman F. Feika to Decide Whether Former Public Official Will Remain on Bail Amid Money Laundering, Theft, Forgery and Public Funds Trial
IPNEWS: Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice is expected to hand down a crucial ruling on Friday, July 3, 2026, that could determine whether former public official Nora Finda Bondoo remains on bail or is taken back into custody as she faces trial on multiple criminal charges, including money laundering, theft of property and the alleged misuse of public funds.
Judge Ousman F. Feika is scheduled to rule on a Motion to Justify Surety, following days of testimony from defense witnesses and vigorous objections by prosecutors challenging the adequacy of a US$435,560 property bond posted on Bondoo’s behalf.
The Republic of Liberia, represented by the Ministry of Justice and the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), is asking the court to reject the bond, arguing that the properties pledged as security are insufficient in value and do not adequately satisfy the legal requirements for a bond in a case involving serious economic and financial crimes.
The outcome of Friday’s ruling will determine whether Bondoo will continue enjoying her conditional release pending trial or whether her bail will be revoked.
Its may be recalled, the legal battle centers around a criminal appearance valuation bond approved by Presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika to keep Bundoo out of jail during her trial. The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), acting through the Ministry of Justice, filed formal exceptions challenging the bond.
State prosecutors demand the bond be revoked and Bundoo rearrested. They argue that the US$435,560 bond is mathematically inadequate to cover the extreme financial scope of the indictment. Bundoo and her co-defendants stand accused of economic sabotage, theft of property, and money laundering involving roughly US$6.9 million and L$871.3 million—a combined total exceeding US$11.7 million.
Bundoo’s legal team presented a “Motion to Justify Surety,” calling forth guarantors to prove the legitimacy of the collateral. Among them, lawyer Abraham W. Simpson took the stand to testify that his pledged property in Gaye Town, Old Road, is independently valued at around US$400,000, with fully cleared tax obligations to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). The hearings briefly stalled after prosecutors initially rejected photocopied deeds, forcing the defense to produce original titles and LRA certificates.
The upcoming Friday ruling will decide whether Bundoo remains free on conditional release or is immediately taken into custody at the Monrovia Central Prison. If Judge Feika sides with the prosecution, her bond will be nullified, and she will remain jailed until her legal team can secure a new, substantially larger bond that matches the multi-million dollar scale of the state’s corruption charges.
