Prosecutors Want Finda Bondo Arrested, Say US$435K Bond Cannot Cover US$11.7M Fraud Case

Published: June 15, 2026

MONROVIA — Prosecutors have asked Criminal Court ‘C’ to revoke former chief of protocol Nora Finda Bondo’s criminal appearance bond and order her back into custody, arguing that the bond is worth a fraction of the US$11.7 million the government says she helped steal and that it was filed with defective property deeds, never recorded in the court’s bond repository and co-signed by her own defense lawyer.

The Republic of Liberia, acting through the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force and the Ministry of Justice, filed the exception at the Temple of Justice, calling the bond grossly inadequate and procedurally deficient on multiple grounds.

Bondo faces charges involving the alleged misappropriation of US$6.93 million and 871.38 million Liberian dollars in government funds. Prosecutors say that when the Liberian dollar component is converted, the total alleged loss exceeds US$11.7 million. Yet Bondo secured her release on a bond valued at just US$435,560, an amount the state says falls far below the loss the government claims to have suffered and fails to guarantee her appearance before the court.

Prosecutors pointed to the ongoing case against former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. and others, where the court approved a bond of approximately US$8 million against alleged losses of about US$6.2 million. The state argued that consistency in judicial practice demands a comparable approach in Bondo’s case and that any bond should be equal to or greater than the total alleged loss.

“The bond currently before the court is insufficient and contrary to the precedent established in the Samuel Tweah matter,” the prosecution said.

Beyond valuation, the state raised what it called fundamental procedural failures. Citing Chapter 63 of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law, prosecutors argued that criminal appearance bonds must be verified and recorded in the bond repository maintained by Criminal Court “A.” The filing alleges Bondo’s bond was never officially verified or recorded, and prosecutors attached correspondence and certification from the clerk’s office to support the claim. The state argued the omission alone renders the bond defective and warrants cancellation.

Prosecutors also challenged the validity of the property deeds submitted by the bond sureties. The filing alleges that a deed presented by defense counsel Cllr. Abraham Wade Simpson was executed on Jan. 17, 2025, but not probated until Aug. 26, 2025, well beyond the statutory period for registration. A second surety, Fayia Fallambu, allegedly executed a deed on Aug. 9, 2025, and did not probate it until Dec. 21, 2025. The state contends both deeds were probated outside the legally prescribed window and therefore lack the legal standing to support the bond.

One of the prosecution’s sharpest arguments targets Simpson’s dual role. The state says it is highly unusual and legally questionable for an attorney actively representing a defendant in a criminal case to simultaneously serve as a personal surety guaranteeing that defendant’s court appearance. Prosecutors argued that the arrangement gives Simpson a direct financial stake in the outcome of the bond and exposes him to personal liability if Bondo fails to appear, creating a potential conflict of interest that could compromise his independent professional judgment.

The state is asking the court to set aside the bond entirely and order Bondo detained until a new bond meeting all statutory requirements and reflecting the full value of the indictment is filed and approved.

The court is expected to hear arguments from both sides before ruling on whether the bond stands or is revoked. The case is part of a broader government effort to recover public assets and prosecute former officials accused of large-scale misuse of state funds.