Just last week, a superyacht worth an estimated $325 million was seized in Fiji on suspicion of belonging to a Russian oligarch.
The luxury ship docked in this Pacific nation on March 19 and faces a legal battle over who owns it.
This Thursday (28th), a judge in Germany initiated proceedings at the request of the US Embassy in Suva to determine ownership of the luxury ship.
According to an Associated Press report, there are two possible owners, but only one of them would be sanctioned by US authorities after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Who stays with Amadea?
US authorities are trying to prove that the 106meter superyacht weighing more than 5 tons belongs to Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.
Kerimov appeared alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and other billionaires in February as his army’s tanks invaded Ukraine.
He has been the target of US sanctions since 2018 “for being a government official of the Russian Federation” and also for being a member of the Russian Parliament.
Kerimov was also fined on March 15 this year by the British government and the European Union, which labeled him “a member of the inner circle of oligarchs” close to Putin.
2 of 3 Russian Senator Suleiman Kerimov, in file image — Photo: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, file
Russian Senator Suleiman Kerimov, in file picture — Photo: AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, file
However, lawyers for the ship manager argue that the real owner is businessman Eduard Khudainatov.
Khudainatov is the former chairman of Rosneft, Russia’s state oil and gas company he is not subject to sanctions from the US or European countries.
Determining Amadea’s real estate is difficult. On paper, the superyacht is registered in the Cayman Islands and owned by Millemarin Investments, also based in this Caribbean tax haven.
3 of 3 Amadea Superyacht moored in a Fiji port pictured on April 15, 2022 — Photo: Leon Lord/Fiji Sun via AP
Amadea superyacht moored in a Fiji port on April 15, 2022 — Photo: Leon Lord/Fiji Sun via AP
The ship arrived in Fiji after an 18day voyage that left Mexico and crossed the Pacific, according to Reuters news agency.
The specialist portal Luxury Launches reported that the Amadea was underway “at full speed” in order to evade surveillance by maritime authorities.
Luxury boat publisher Boat International reported that Amadea was built in 2017 and features a live lobster tank, handpainted piano and helipad in her kitchen.