Monrovia, February 24, 2026 — The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) has welcomed the ruling of the Criminal Court “A” denying the motion to quash filed by the Clar Hope Foundation and ordering the production of documents requested under a judicial subpoena.
AREPT Chairman, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, described the decision as a reaffirmation of the rule of law and the authority of institutions acting within their legal mandate. He welcomed the Court’s determination and reiterated the Taskforce’s commitment to pursuing its work strictly through due process and in full respect of judicial independence. The Chairman, in an interview with Journalists following the ruling emphasized that the ruling underscores a fundamental principle that no individual or institution is beyond lawful scrutiny where public assets are concerned.
In its ruling handed down today, February 24, 2026, the Criminal Court “A” denied the Foundation’s motion to quash and upheld the validity of the subpoena issued by AREPT. The Court ordered the Foundation to comply by producing the documents requested. In its determination, the Court declared that “the motion to quash is hereby denied,” thereby affirming the enforceability of the subpoena.
The subpoena seeks records relating to funding sources, donor information, and issues connected to the alleged conversion and use of public assets. These areas fall squarely within AREPT’s mandate under Executive Order No. 145, including provisions that authorize the Taskforce to investigate circumstances involving the conversion of public funds or assets to private use.
The Clar Hope Foundation had challenged the subpoena before the Court, seeking to have it nullified. However, following legal arguments from both sides, the Court ruled in favor of allowing the subpoena to stand.
Chairman Martin reiterated that the subpoena does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing but forms part of an evidence-gathering process aimed at establishing facts. He stressed that AREPT’s actions are institutional and grounded in law, not politics, and that the Taskforce will continue to operate within the confines of the legal framework governing its mandate.
With the Court’s decision now rendered, AREPT will proceed in accordance with the ruling and remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the retrieval and protection of Government of Liberia assets in the national interest.
