Monrovia — Arguments in the Motion to Justify Surety filed by former Deputy Minister and Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bondo have officially concluded, with Criminal Court "C" expected to deliver its ruling on Friday, July 3, 2026.
Presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika reserved his decision after both the defense and the prosecution rested following the presentation of oral testimony and documentary evidence relating to the justification of the surety bond filed on Bondo's behalf.
The hearing focused exclusively on the adequacy of the sureties and the properties pledged to support the bond, rather than the criminal allegations pending against Bondo and her co-defendants.
During Monday's proceedings, June 29, the defense presented its final witness and documentary evidence, including deeds, tax clearances and property records.
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The prosecution conducted an extensive cross-examination, attempting to challenge the valuation and ownership of the properties offered as security.
One notable exchange occurred when prosecutors questioned whether an evaluation report prepared by the Liberia Revenue Authority formed part of the documents submitted to the court.
The witness replied that he could not answer because he was not employed by the LRA, after which the prosecution rested with the witness.
The defence subsequently waived its third surety witness, informing the court that the evidence already presented was sufficient to establish the validity of the bond.
Judge Feika granted the request and admitted the defense's documentary exhibits into evidence as an integral part of the proceedings before declaring arguments concluded.
Defense Maintains Bond Has Not Been Successfully Challenged
Bondo was previously indicted alongside several other defendants on allegations including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, forgery and criminal facilitation.
She has denied the allegations, and the criminal case remained pending before the court.
Defense lawyers have consistently argued that although the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force questioned the bond and sought a justification hearing, it has not succeeded in having the original criminal appearance bond invalidated.
According to the defense, the current proceedings relate only to whether the sureties and pledged properties satisfy the legal requirements of the court.
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Throughout the hearing, the defense maintained that the prosecution failed to produce evidence undermining the legitimacy of the properties or the credibility of the sureties.
Instead, the defense argued that its witnesses provided consistent testimony supported by documentary evidence admitted by the court.
With arguments now concluded, all eyes are on Judge Ousman F. Feika, who is expected to hand down his ruling on Friday, July 3.
The decision will determine whether the surety bond filed on behalf of Nora Finda Bondo is legally justified and accepted, allowing the criminal proceedings to continue while she remains on bond.
The ruling is expected to be closely watched, as it marks another important chapter in one of the country's closely followed corruption prosecutions involving former public officials.
