The Supreme Court will rule in the case between the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force and Gracious Ride Company today.
The Task Force was established under Executive Order No. 126 by President Joseph Boakai to search, seize, and investigate government assets acquired illegally.
Gracious Ride petitioned the court to nullify the Executive Order, challenging the President’s constitutional authority to create the Task Force.
The company also argued that the vehicles in question were lawfully owned by the former Chief of Protocol, Finda Bondo.
The asset recovery team, led by Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, has consistently defended the President’s constitutional authority to issue the order and maintained that Gracious Ride has failed to prove any legal violations by Executive Order 126.
The case has been before the Supreme Court for nine months, with increasing pressure from civil society organizations urging a swift resolution, citing its significance in the fight against corruption.
Public concerns over the court’s handling of the case grew after an initial ruling, scheduled for August 2024, was unexpectedly delayed despite a formal notice of assignment. Legal experts have described the situation as unprecedented, as it was the first time the Supreme Court issued a notice of ruling and then failed to deliver an opinion.
Meanwhile, the Asset Recovery Task Force has reaffirmed its commitment, stating that it remains undeterred despite the delays. It claimed to have substantial evidence exposing the illegal acquisition of government assets and the large-scale theft of public property.
Executive Order No. 126, issued in March 2024, empowered the Task Force to investigate and prosecute individuals and groups accused of defrauding the state. However, since its establishment, the Task Force has faced multiple legal challenges from alleged corrupt officials seeking to evade prosecution.
