But Supreme Court Chambers Justice Declines To Grant “Gracious Ride” Request For Taskforce Not To Impound Its Legitimate Vehicles
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The legal standoff between the ruling Unity Party (UP) of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and former President George Weah’s Chief of Protocol, Finda Bondo over stopping of her fleet of “Glorious Ride” taxis has taken a new twist, with the Assets Recovery Team conceding to committing procedural errors “in part”.
The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce recently set up by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai under Executive Order #126, recently said its intelligence points to former Chief of Protocol Finda Bondo being owner of the fleet of “Glorious Ride” taxis is being tested in court.
The Supreme Court Justice in Chambers, Yussif D. Kaba on Monday April 1,2024 demanded that Glorious Ride company headed by Finda Bondo present title documents leading to the legitimate of the vehicles.Supreme Court Orders Finda Bondo’s Glorious Ride Taxi Company To Present Ownership Documents – News Public Trust
Today, Monday, April 8, 2024, Supreme Court Chambers Justice, Yussif D. Kaba declined to grant a request by the Gracious ride to prevent the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval team from impounding all of its legitimate vehicles, after the Asset recovery team conceded procedural errors.
Justice Kaba’s decision was based on a communication dated April 8,2024 by the Asset Recovery and property Retrieval task force in which they yielded to the petition and that they were going to abide by the authority of the court and appropriate laws and was going to apply with due process and the rule of law.
According to the communication, Asset Recovery and property retrieval task force acknowledged that its action was not deliberate to disenfranchise the Gracious ride but was done to investigate the allegations of suspicion surrounding the acquisition of the petitioner’s petition vehicles.
Asset recovery and property retrieval task force further maintained that the investigation suspicious assets falls within the mandate of Executive order #126 which was announced by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
However, in his one-page decision, Justice Kaba also ordered the Asset Recovery and property retrieval task force to proceed in line with the law.
Copy of Justice Kaba’s ruling dated April 8,2024, and obtained by this news outlet, it reads” By directive of his Honor Yussif D. Kaba, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers has declined to issue the writ prayed for by the petitioner, reserving the rights and considering the attach communication from the respondent, you are hereby informed that the respondent to proceed in keeping with law.”
Before Justice Kaba’s order, a five day-ultimatums was given to Gracious ride which got expired on April 5,2024, to bring their legitimate documents for the vehicles.
It can be recalled on Wednesday, March 27,2024, the Glorious ride vehicles and several vehicles belonging to the former Police IG Patrick Sudue were impounded by the Asset Recovery and property Retrieval team headed by former Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission boss Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin and team.
Following the seizure of the vehicles, Justice Kaba ordered the release of all the vehicles seized and stay all seizure pending outcome of the conference on April 1,2024 which Gracious ride was given a five-day ultimatum to present their ownership documents.