Assets Recovery & Property Retrieval Task Force-AREPT

04/08/2026

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄

𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨, 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

Monrovia, Liberia – August 4, 2026 – The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, has filed a Motion to Refuse Jurisdiction before Criminal Court "C", asking the Court to decline jurisdiction over two Criminal Appearance Bonds recently filed on behalf of indictee Nora Finda Bundoo in the ongoing Gracious Ride case.

The motion is based on the position that the bond proceedings were already pending before the Justice in Chambers of the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia when the new bonds were presented to and approved by Criminal Court "C". AREPT contends that once the Justice in Chambers assumed jurisdiction over the matter and cited the parties to a conference, the lower court should have awaited the outcome of those proceedings and the issuance of the appropriate mandate before taking further action on the bond issue.

The current motion follows a series of proceedings concerning Ms. Bundoo's Criminal Appearance Bond. On July 21, 2026, Criminal Court "C" sustained AREPT's exception to her replacement bond after finding that the sureties did not satisfy the requirements of Liberian law. The Court disqualified the bonds, fixed a new bail threshold of US$8 million, and ordered that Ms. Bundoo be taken into custody pending the filing and approval of a valid Criminal Appearance Bond.

Following her incarceration, counsel for Ms. Bundoo excepted to the ruling and petitioned the Justice in Chambers of the Supreme Court. The Justice in Chambers subsequently ordered her release pending a conference scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, to consider the issues raised in the petition.

AREPT states that while the matter was still pending before the Justice in Chambers and before the scheduled conference was held, two new Criminal Appearance Bonds were filed and approved before Criminal Court "C". It is this development that prompted the filing of the present Motion to Refuse Jurisdiction.

The Taskforce emphasizes that the motion does not challenge Ms. Bundoo's constitutional right to seek bail. Rather, it asks the Court to determine whether it could properly entertain and approve the new bonds while the same bond dispute remained before the Justice in Chambers of the Supreme Court. AREPT maintains that protecting established judicial procedures is essential to ensuring fairness, consistency and confidence in the administration of justice.

Ms. Bundoo and her co-defendants face charges including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, property or records, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation.

AREPT reaffirms its commitment to pursuing all matters before the courts through lawful procedures, respecting the independence of the Judiciary, and ensuring that criminal proceedings are conducted in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of Liberia.

Signed:

𝐉𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐡 𝐅. 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 (𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐓)
(+𝟐𝟑𝟏)𝟖𝟖𝟖𝟒𝟏𝟒𝟏𝟐𝟒/𝟕𝟕𝟖𝟓𝟗𝟖𝟐𝟖𝟔

26/07/2026

🇱🇷 Happy 179th Independence Day, Liberia! 🇱🇷

As we commemorate our nation's independence, let us reaffirm our collective commitment to integrity, accountability, and the rule of law.

Together, we can safeguard our national resources and build a Liberia where corruption has no place.

Happy Independence Day from the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT).

🤝🇱🇷 Together for a Transparent and Accountable Liberia.

22/07/2026

🎥 Media Interview

Our Chairperson, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, speaks to the media following Tuesday's ruling by the Presiding Judge of Criminal Court "C."

▶️ Watch live and stay informed on the latest developments.

09/07/2026

𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐓 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐑𝐞-𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨, 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 “𝐂”

Monrovia, Liberia – July 9, 2026 – The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) has formally filed an exception before Criminal Court "C" challenging the Criminal Appearance Bond recently approved for indictee Nora Finda Bondoo and is seeking an order for her re-arrest pending the filing of a bond that fully complies with Liberian law.

The exception follows the Court's earlier ruling setting aside Ms. Bondo's previous bond and directing that a legally sufficient bond be filed within seventy-two (72) hours. Following the filing and approval of a new Criminal Appearance Bond, the prosecution conducted a thorough legal review and subsequently filed a formal exception identifying what it believes are significant legal and factual deficiencies in the new bond.

In its filing, the prosecution contends that the bond amount is grossly insufficient considering the magnitude of the offenses charged and the value of public funds allegedly involved. The exception further argues that the property presented as security does not satisfy the requirements of Liberian law and raises additional concerns regarding the legal sufficiency of the surety documentation supporting the bond.

Based on these findings, AREPT is asking the Court to set aside the newly approved bond, order the re-arrest of Ms. Bondo, and require that a legally compliant Criminal Appearance Bond be filed before her release.

The filing forms part of the ongoing prosecution in the Gracious Ride case, in which Ms. Bondo and several others stand indicted on charges including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, property and records, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation.

AREPT emphasizes that the exception is a lawful procedural remedy available under Liberian law and reflects the Taskforce's continued commitment to protecting the integrity of judicial proceedings while safeguarding public confidence in the administration of justice.

Signed:

𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗙. 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿
𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗧)
𝟬𝟳𝟳𝟴𝟮𝟵𝟴𝟮𝟴𝟲/𝟬𝟴𝟴𝟴𝟰𝟭𝟰𝟭𝟮𝟰

06/07/2026

“AREPT is legally prepared to combat all of its indicated cases.”

Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, Chairperson, AREPT.

03/07/2026

AREPT Welcomes Court Ruling, Reaffirms Commitment to Prosecuting All Indicted Person

The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), welcomes the ruling of Criminal Court “C” in the matter involving indictee Nora Finda Bondoo's Criminal Appearance Bond in the Gracious Ride case.

The Court's decision followed exceptions filed by AREPT in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice challenging the legal sufficiency of the Criminal Appearance Bond filed on behalf of the indictee.

After hearing arguments from both parties, the Court disqualified the proposed sureties, set aside the bond, and ordered the filing of a new Criminal Appearance Bond within seventy-two (72) hours.

The ruling demonstrates AREPT's unwavering commitment to ensuring that all indictees are held fully accountable through lawful judicial processes and that no procedural irregularities undermine the administration of justice.

Throughout the proceedings, the Taskforce maintained that criminal appearance bonds must comply with established legal requirements and provide the Court with sufficient assurance that accused persons will remain subject to its jurisdiction. The Court's ruling affirms the importance of maintaining the integrity of judicial processes and ensuring that the administration of justice is guided by the rule of law.

The matter arises from the Gracious Ride case, one of Liberia's largest ongoing asset recovery prosecutions. The indictment involves allegations of money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public money, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and criminal facilitation in connection with approximately US$6.93 million and LRD 87.38 million in public resources.

Commenting on the ruling, AREPT Executive Chairperson, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, said:
"The ruling demonstrates AREPT's unwavering commitment to ensuring that all indictees are held fully accountable through lawful judicial processes and that no procedural irregularities undermine the administration of justice. Our responsibility is not only to investigate and prosecute, but also to safeguard the integrity of every legal process connected to those prosecutions. We remain committed to ensuring that every person charged before our courts answers those charges in accordance with the law and with full respect for due process."

AREPT emphasizes that its mandate extends beyond investigating allegations of corruption and tracing public assets. The Taskforce is equally committed to ensuring that judicial proceedings connected to its cases are conducted in accordance with the law, with fairness to all parties, while protecting the public interest and preserving confidence in Liberia's justice system.

The Taskforce remains steadfast in working with the Ministry of Justice and other partners to advance accountability, strengthen the rule of law, and facilitate the recovery of public assets for the benefit of the Liberian people.

Signed:

Joseph F. Daniels
Public Relations Officer
Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT)

Executive Mansion-Liberia
Liberia National Police - LNP
Ministry of Justice - Liberia
Ministry of Information
Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission LACC

03/07/2026

🎥 Media Engagement |
⚖️ Criminal Court 'C' Proceedings

Our Chairperson, Cllr. Edward Kla Martin, speaks with members of the media following proceedings at Criminal Court 'C'.

29/06/2026

16/06/2026

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘
𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 “𝗖” 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗴𝘀’ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Monrovia, Liberia – June 16, 2026 – Criminal Court “C” at the First Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County, has denied the application of the indictee and former Commerce Minister Mawine G. Diggs seeking permission to travel outside Liberia for medical treatment following the completion of an independent medical assessment ordered by the Court.

The decision follows an earlier directive from the Court requiring an independent local medical institution to assess Ms. Diggs’ medical condition and advise whether treatment abroad was medically necessary. The assessment was subsequently conducted and submitted to the Court for consideration. According to the assessment, there was insufficient objective medical evidence to establish that overseas medical treatment was medically necessary at this time, and the Court accordingly denied the application.

The Court further instructed Ms. Diggs to continue to comply with the conditions of her Criminal Appearance Bond and the writ of Ne Exeat Republica previously issued in the matter.

The application arose from the Rural Women Empowerment Funds case currently before the Court. The matter involves allegations relating to the misappropriation of approximately US$493,669.38 and LRD$190,345,028.26 intended for rural women empowerment initiatives. Eight individuals have been indicted in connection with the case and face charges including theft of property, economic sabotage, misapplication of entrusted property, and criminal conspiracy.

AREPT welcomes the Court’s reliance on an independent medical assessment as part of the judicial process. The Taskforce has consistently maintained that applications for medical travel leave should be supported by sufficient medical evidence and that available local medical alternatives should be fully considered before foreign treatment is authorized.

The Taskforce remains committed to respecting the judicial process and ensuring that all matters before the courts are handled in accordance with due process, fairness, and the rule of law.

AREPT further remains steadfast in its mandate to investigate, prosecute in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, and recover public assets for the benefit of the Liberian people while respecting the constitutional rights of all parties before the courts.

𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱:
𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗙. 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿
𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 (𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗧)

15/06/2026

🇱🇷🤝🇸🇱 Strengthening Regional Cooperation Against Corruption

As part of efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in the fight against corruption and accelerate the recovery of stolen public assets across West Africa, the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) was honored to welcome the Commissioner of Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Francis Ben Kaifala, to our headquarters in Paynesville.

The engagement was led by AREPT Chairperson Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin and attended by Dr. Ranney B. Jackson, Vice Chairperson; Atty. Suzanne A. Johnson, Member and Lead for Legal & Policy Support; Corsby Malone Johnson, Veteran Intelligence Analyst & Integrity Systems Specialist; and other members and technical staff of the Task Force.

The visit marks an important step toward strengthening collaboration, sharing expertise, enhancing institutional capacity, and advancing cross-border asset recovery efforts throughout the West African region.

📸 Highlights from the engagement.