Fiji postpones confiscation of Russian billionaire’s yacht
A court in Fiji has suspended an order to confiscate the $300 million Amadea superyacht that the US believes is owned by Russian billionaire Suleyman Kerimov.
Fiji prosecutors said on May 9 that the country’s Court of Appeal had “deferred the enforcement of the confiscation order” of the Amadea yacht more than 100 meters long.
Judicial America On May 5, it was announced that the Fijian government has confiscation Billionaire’s Amadea yacht Russia Suleyman Kerimov on the grounds of “violating American law”. US Attorney General Merrick Garland also affirmed that “nowhere can hide the assets of individuals who violate US laws”.
However, Millemarin Investment, the company that owns the Amadea yacht on paper, over the weekend obtained an order to suspend the seizure of the yacht. The yacht case is expected to continue to go to trial on May 12.
Amadea yacht moored in Bodrum town, Mugla province, Turkey on February 18, 2020. Image: AFP.
Pending trial, the yacht Amadea is under the control of the Fiji police and is not allowed to leave the waters of the Pacific island nation.
The Amadea yacht, built in 2016 by the German shipyard Lurssen, can accommodate 18 guests and 36 crew members. The ship has amenities such as a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, helipad and a deck garden. It arrived in Fiji last month, after 18 days of traveling from Mexico.
Billionaire Kerimov, who is said to own the yacht Amadea, is one of the richest people in Russia, building a business empire by mining gold. He is a senator representing the Russian Republic of Dagestan and is said to have close ties to President Vladimir Putin.
Forbes estimates he has a fortune of $13 billion. Kerimov was sanctioned by the US, UK and European Union (EU) in early March in a campaign against Russian oligarchs.
Western countries have repeatedly confiscated yachts of Russian tycoons. In March, the French Ministry of Finance seize Amore Vero, a $281 million superyacht owned by Igor Sechin, the chief executive officer of Russian oil giant Rosneft. In April, Spain also confiscated a $90 million yacht of a Russian billionaire at the request of Washington.
US President Joe Biden has proposed liquidating the confiscated assets of Russian oligarchs and using the money to support Ukraine. The proposal would require major law reform because under current US regulations, Washington can only seize but not liquidate the assets of individuals subject to sanctions.
Ngoc Anh (According to AFP)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
