Assets Recovery & Property Retrieval Task Force-AREPT

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)

🇱🇷🤝🇸🇱 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.

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘

𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗧 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱

Monrovia, Liberia – June 2026 – The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, has formally filed exceptions to the Criminal Appearance Bond submitted by indictee Nora Finda Bondoo and is seeking an order from Criminal Court “C” for her rearrest pending the filing of what it considers a legally sufficient bond.

The exceptions filed before the Court challenge both the adequacy and legality of the bond submitted on behalf of Ms. Bondoo. AREPT contends that the bond is grossly insufficient when compared to the value of the allegations contained in the indictment and raises concerns regarding compliance with applicable legal requirements governing criminal appearance bonds.

According to the filing, Ms. Bondoo was indicted along with several co-defendants on charges including Money Laundering, Theft of Property, Misuse of Public Money, Criminal Conspiracy, Forgery, and Criminal Facilitation. The indictment alleges the unlawful acquisition and laundering of assets and resources valued at approximately US$6.9 million and L$871 million.

AREPT further argues that the bond submitted to secure Ms. Bondoo's release does not provide adequate assurance of her continued appearance before the Court and has asked the Court to review whether all statutory requirements governing the filing, valuation, verification, and approval of the bond were fully satisfied.

The Taskforce is therefore requesting that the Court set aside the bond, order the rearrest of Ms. Bondoo, and require the filing of a bond that complies with all applicable legal requirements before any release is permitted.

AREPT emphasizes that its action is not intended to deny any individual due process or constitutional protections. Rather, the Taskforce maintains that all defendants must comply with the same legal standards and procedures established to ensure accountability and the proper administration of justice.
The matter is now before Criminal Court “C” for judicial determination.

AREPT remains committed to working in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that corruption, money laundering, and asset recovery matters are pursued in accordance with the rule of law and due process.

𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗙. 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿, 𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗧
𝟬𝟳𝟳 𝟴𝟱𝟵 𝟴𝟮𝟴𝟲/𝟬𝟴𝟴 𝟴𝟰𝟭 𝟰𝟭𝟮𝟰

⚖️ Accountability is about actions, not affiliations.

As part of AREPT's ongoing public awareness efforts, Atty. Suzanne A. Johnson, Member of the Taskforce and Lead for Legal & Policy Support, reaffirmed a key principle guiding our work: the pursuit of accountability is based on evidence and the responsible management of public resources, not political considerations.

At AREPT, our focus remains on transparency, due process, and ensuring that public assets serve the Liberian people.

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

𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘
𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗧 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗴𝘀' 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

Monrovia, Liberia – June 5, 2026 – Criminal Court “C” at the First Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County, has ordered an independent medical assessment of former Commerce Minister Mawine G. Diggs following her application seeking permission to travel outside Liberia for medical treatment.

The Court's directive comes after lawyers representing Ms. Diggs filed an application requesting authorization for her to travel to the United States for what they described as medical care. In response, the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice filed a formal resistance, emphasizing that all available local medical options should first be explored and exhausted before overseas treatment is considered. The resistance further argued that any request for medical travel abroad should be supported by sufficient medical evidence establishing that the required treatment cannot be adequately provided within Liberia, while also raising concerns regarding the potential impact of such travel on ongoing judicial proceedings.

In the wisdom of the Court, Criminal Court “C”, presided over by His Honor Ousman F. Feika, directed an independent healthcare provider in Liberia to conduct a comprehensive medical assessment of Ms. Diggs and advise the Court. The Court further instructed that the assessment report be submitted within forty-eight hours of receipt of the communication.

The application arises 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 are charged with offenses including theft of property, economic sabotage, misapplication of entrusted property, and criminal conspiracy.

AREPT welcomes the Court's decision to seek an independent medical assessment. The Taskforce maintains that medical travel abroad should be considered only after all reasonable local treatment options have been exhausted and where credible medical evidence establishes that the required treatment cannot be adequately provided within Liberia. AREPT 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 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