MONROVIA, Liberia — Criminal Court “C” Judge Ousman F. Faikai issued two major rulings on Tuesday that sent shockwaves through Liberia’s justice system, ordering the imprisonment of former Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Nora Finda Bundoo and all 15 jurors who served in the corruption trial of former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah.
In the first ruling, the court rejected Bundoo’s latest criminal appearance bond and set bail at US$8 million, ordering that she be remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison pending the filing of an acceptable bond.
The ruling followed objections raised by prosecutors from the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), led by Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin. Prosecutors argued that the two properties submitted by Bundoo’s legal team as sureties failed to satisfy the requirements of Liberia’s Civil Procedure Law.
According to the prosecution, one property valued at approximately US$350,000 had already been pledged in about 20 separate criminal cases involving bonds totaling more than US$2.4 million. The second property, valued at roughly US$240,000, was also found to be insufficient.
Judge Faikai agreed with the prosecution, ruling that the combined value of the two properties; about US$590,000, was far below the amount required by the court and did not meet the legal standard requiring bail property to be free from competing claims.
The decision comes just days after Bundoo, speaking at her father’s funeral, claimed that some individuals within her own political circle wanted to see her imprisoned.
Bundoo, who served as Chief of Protocol during former President George Weah’s administration from 2018 to 2023, is among several defendants in the high-profile “Gracious Ride” corruption case. Prosecutors allege that more than US$6.7 million and L$845 million in public funds were laundered through the Anita Group of Companies and Gracious Ride between 2020 and 2023. She has denied all allegations.
Court records indicate that although the indictment was issued in November 2025, Bundoo was only formally served on June 9, 2026, after returning to Liberia from abroad.
In a separate ruling later Tuesday, Judge Faikai ordered the immediate detention of all 15 jurors who served in the corruption trial of former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah and his co-defendants after finding that they engaged in serious jury misconduct.
The judge cited violations of jury rules, including the use of mobile phones and unauthorized communications while the panel was under sequestration. Describing the conduct as a serious breach of jury ethics, he set aside the jury’s verdict, ordered a completely new trial, and directed that the jurors be turned over to the Ministry of Justice for possible criminal prosecution.
The jurors were subsequently remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison pending further legal action.
The two decisions underscore what legal observers see as a stricter approach by Criminal Court “C” toward compliance with court procedures, particularly in major corruption cases. The court’s rulings emphasize that bail requirements must fully comply with statutory standards and that violations of jury rules will carry significant consequences.
Bundoo’s legal team is expected to either file a new criminal appearance bond that satisfies the court’s requirements or appeal the US$8 million bail ruling.
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