Monrovia — Raquel Hage, a renowned recording artist and top Liberian singer, has filed a US$65,000 lawsuit against Air Côte d'Ivoire, claiming the airline is responsible for the loss of her luggage and the emotional distress caused by its mishandling.
Hage is seeking compensation for the value of her lost belongings and the significant mental anguish endured throughout the ordeal.
The lawsuit, filed at the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice, accuses the airline of negligence in handling Hage's luggage, which contained personal effects worth US$5,000, including clothing, perfumes, shoes, and other valuables.
According to the complaint, Hage checked in her suitcase at Houphouet Boigny International Airport in Abidjan on March 1, 2024, before boarding a flight to Roberts International Airport (RIA) in Liberia.
However, upon arrival, she discovered that her luggage had gone missing and that despite assurances from Air Côte d'Ivoire staff that the suitcase was onboard, her efforts to locate the bag at RIA were unsuccessful.
Hage said she spent nearly two hours at the airport waiting for a resolution, but the airline's failure to locate her luggage left her increasingly frustrated.
Additionally, over the next several weeks, Hage narrated that she contacted the airline's representatives, including the Country Manager, Daniel Kwadwo Dartey, but received no concrete answers.
Accordingly, on March 31, 2024, an agent from the airline, Matthew B.K. Johnson sent a text message promising that further checks would be conducted on April 1, 2024. However, despite these reassurances, Hage received no new information.
The delay stretched to 24 days, during which time she expressed her mounting frustration in a series of text messages to the airline.
According to the lawsuit, on March 26, 2024, she received another message stating that a suitcase had arrived at RIA but lacked a tag, a claim Hage interprets as an admission that the airline had lost or misplaced her luggage.
As such, the singer noted that the lack of resolution led to further emotional distress for her.
Eventually, the lawsuit noted that the airline advised Hage to file an official claim.
However, her interactions with the airline's representatives, including a confrontational exchange with Country Manager Dartey, left her feeling unsupported and disregarded, forcing her to hire legal counsel from AFDASA Global Consultancy to pursue her claim.
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Hage said that during a meeting with the airline's legal team, she was informed that the airline would only compensate based on the weight of the luggage rather than its contents, a stance she found unacceptable and dismissive of her situation.
In her lawsuit, Hage is seeking US$5,000 in special damages for the value of her lost items and an additional US$60,000 in general damages for the emotional distress, inconvenience, and mental anguish caused by the airline's mishandling of her luggage.
The case, which is expected to have far-reaching implications for passenger rights and airline accountability, is ongoing.
Hage's legal team has indicated that they will provide additional evidence to support their claims in future hearings.
The prominent Liberian singer Raquel Hage has garnered attention for her musical career, but this legal battle has added a new layer to her public profile.
The case will now be followed closely, as it could set a precedent for passengers seeking justice in cases of lost luggage and poor customer service from airlines.
