The United States is auctioning off the $US325 million ($500 million) yacht Amadea, its first sale of a seized Russian luxury ship since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The auction, which closes September 10, comes as President Donald Trump seeks to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. The US has said it’s working with allies to put pressure on Russian oligarchs, some of whom are close to Putin and have had their yachts seized, to try to compel him to stop the war.
The 106-metre-long yacht, seized three years ago and currently docked in San Diego, was custom-built by the German company Lürssen in 2017. Designed by François Zuretti, the yacht features an interior with extensive marble work, eight state rooms, a beauty salon, a spa, a gym, a helipad, a swimming pool and an elevator. It accommodates 16 guests and 36 crew members.
Determining the real ownership of the Amadea has been an issue of contention because of an opaque trail of trusts and shell companies. The yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands and is owned by Millemarin, also based in the Cayman Islands.
The US contends that billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for alleged money laundering, owns the yacht. Meanwhile, Eduard Khudainatov, a former chairman and chief executive of the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, who has not been sanctioned, claims to own it.
US prosecutors say Khudainatov is a straw owner of the yacht, intended to conceal the yacht’s true owner, Kerimov. Litigation over the true ownership of the yacht is ongoing.
The US contends that Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for alleged money laundering, owns the yacht.Credit: AP
A representative of Khudainatov said in an emailed statement on Wednesday that the planned sale of the yacht is “improper and premature” since Khudainatov is appealing a forfeiture ruling.
“We doubt it will attract any rational buyer at fair market price, because ownership can, and will, be challenged in courts outside the United States, exposing purchasers to years of costly, uncertain litigation,” said the representative, Adam Ford.
- For more: Elrisala website and for social networking, you can follow us on Facebook
- Source of information and images “brisbanetimes”“
