The bible quote that: There is time for everything…was actualized on Tuesday, July 21, when Nora Finda Bondo entered the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP) as ordered by the court.
Finda was accompanied by a teaming crowd that burst into a chorus: “goodbye to you Finda!!; yor eat our money for six years….!!”
Finda imprisonment became about when Criminal Court ‘C’ for the second time, rejected a criminal appearance bond filed on behalf of her.
The court ordered Finda’s immediate re-arrested and jailed at the Monrovia Central Prison (MCP) after finding that one of the properties offered as security was heavily encumbered, and legally insufficient.
Nora Finda Bondo had formerly served as Executive Mansion chief of protocol in the six years administration of President George Weah (2018-2024). Prior to taking up the E-Mansion assignment, she was a cook bowl seller in Fish Town, River Gee County.
The latest ruling comes just weeks after the court disqualified her first set of sureties and gave her legal team 72 hours to file a new bond.
In its earlier ruling on July 3, the court disqualified the first sureties after finding that one of the sureties, Counselor Abraham W. Simpson, could not legally serve as both Finda’s lawyer and a surety, while another surety, Fayiah Falambo, was himself indicted in the same criminal case.
The court ordered the defense to file a new and legally sufficient bond within three days.
To comply with that order, Finda lawyers filed a new criminal appearance bond backed by two new sureties, Kai Garlo Farley and John Moses Gbetee.
However, following objections from the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), and the Ministry of Justice, the court found that Gbetee’s property, valued at US$350,000, had already been pledged in about 20 other court cases, creating existing bond obligations totaling approximately US$2.426 million, far exceeding the property’s stated value.
The court also noted that the combined value of the two new surety bonds, US$590,000, remained substantially below the amount alleged in the indictment.
Judge Ousman F. Feika, ruled that: “Accepting the property as security would violate the Civil Procedure Law, because the property was already heavily encumbered.”
The court further set Finda’s bail threshold at US$8 million, citing the gravity of the charges, and the applicable provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law governing bail in serious financial crime cases.
Based on those findings, the court disqualified the new bond, ordered the immediate re-arrest of Finda, and directed the Sheriff to take her into custody if she was present in court.
If she is outside the court’s jurisdiction, the judge ordered the Clerk of Court to issue a writ of arrest for her detention at MCP pending the filing and approval of a valid criminal appearance bond.
Finda is among several defendants indicted over allegations that involved more than US$6.7 million and L$845 million in public funds allegedly diverted through companies linked to the case.
She faces multiple felony charges, including money laundering, theft of property, misuse of public funds, criminal conspiracy, forgery, criminal facilitation, and related offenses.
She has meanwhile, denied the allegations and, under the law, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The development marks a remarkable reversal for Finda, who once occupied a prestigious government office, coordinating state functions, welcoming foreign dignitaries, and enjoying the privileges associated with the Executive Mansion.
The Defense lawyers immediately noted exceptions to the ruling, preserving their rights to challenge the decision through the appellate process.
By that, Finda will remain in prison until the court determines the next legal steps in the proceedings, or a legally acceptable bond is approved.