Libyan officials plan legal action against a Tunisian pilot, Captain Abdellatif Merchergui, following his testimony in favor of Nigeria during an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hearing. Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani criticized the evidence as biased and vowed to challenge any unfavorable outcomes from the CAF Disciplinary Committee.
Libyan officials are preparing to take legal action against a Tunisian pilot after his testimony favored Nigeria in a recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hearing. Abdul Hakim Al-Shalmani, a member of Libya’s CAF Executive Committee, expressed his disappointment over Captain Abdellatif Merchergui's evidence, claiming it was “false and slanderous.”
Merchergui, who is the Acting Head of Flight Operations at ValueJet, was a key witness in the CAF hearing concerning the disrupted qualifier between Libya and Nigeria in October. According to Libya Akhbar, Al-Shalmani accused Merchergui of bias, asserting that his testimony violated the diplomatic integrity expected between Libya and Tunisia. He stated, “What the Nigerians are trying to portray as injustice on our part is an attempt to cover up the truth.”
Al-Shalmani also criticized Nigeria for leveraging the fame of its international players to sway public opinion and present themselves as victims. He added that Nigeria was attempting to gain sympathy by amplifying the narrative surrounding the incident.
Additionally, he denied media claims that a decision had already been made, clarifying that a Zoom meeting had taken place where Libya submitted documentation to the CAF Disciplinary Committee. Al-Shalmani announced that Libya has engaged a qualified lawyer to handle the case, indicating that they would appeal any unfavorable decision resulting from the hearing.
