SUPREME COURT ORDERS
Monrovia, Liberia – The Supreme Court has halted the activities of the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Team. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai formed the team to gather and return public resources and properties that had been wrongfully acquired or given to private use by former government officials.
Following Francis T. Blama’s prohibition suit against the government, the task force was placed on temporary inactive status. Blama, the manager of Gracious Ride, requested that the High Court issue an injunction for the task force to stop seizing cars.
The cab company is controlled by Finda Bundo, the former Chief of Protocol under President George Weah, according to task force members.
Through his legal team, Blama informed the court that the task force had unlawfully confiscated the vehicles because a high-ranking government official had obtained them through dishonest means. The task force believes this individual is the owner, even though Blama is the actual owner of the vehicles.
On Thursday, March 28, 2024, the Supreme Court’s Chamber Justice, Yussif Kaba, issued a temporary stay order on the assets recovery task force’s operations in response to a request from the defense team.
In addition to requesting that the task force and the ministry be physically present on Monday, April 1, 2024, Justice Kaba also gave notice to the Ministry of Justice to cease the team’s operations.
The mandate says, “You are hereby cited to a conference with his honor on Monday, April 1, 2024, at the hour of 11:am, in connection with the above-captioned case, by directive of His Honor Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers.”
“You are directed to release all seized vehicles and to halt all seizures until the conclusion of the conference.”
Gracious Ride refuted rumors that the vehicles are owned by Madam Bundoo and that they are functioning without the required paperwork. As a result, the business is requesting a ban against the Taskforce and the government.
