The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) sued an armoured vehicle maker based in the US for $400,000 after it failed to deliver one of its most highly-protected models to Tripoli, the Africa Intelligence website reported on Wednesday.
The website added that the NOC, headed by Mustafa Sanalla paid Alpine Armoring $371,000 for a customised Chevrolet Suburban 3500 HD. This was not delivered as planned in February 2020, because the company could not secure a US export license.
The company claimed the plating would stop armour-piercing rounds with nothing on the market close to the “high quality and immediate availability” of the Chevrolet. The documents did not say who intended to use the car.
The company is based in Chantilly, Virginia, and has since refused to repay the NOC, which is suing for breach of contract, according to court documents filed in Texas. Alpine Armoring sought to have the case dismissed last month, or to force the NOC to enter arbitration to resolve the dispute.