HThe US Department of Justice did no favors when it asked the Fiji Islands to seize the luxury boat owned by Suleiman Kerimov in 2022. This Russian billionaire, whose fortune is estimated at approximately 10 billion euros, has been on the US sanctions list since 2018, because he is said to be a friend Putin benefits from the corruption of the Russian regime and the invasion of Ukraine.
The 106-metre superyacht Amadea (estimated value €210 million) is now tied up in San Diego, California. The US government has to make sure it stays in good condition, otherwise it will lose its value.
The Public Prosecution is presented with a huge bill for this purpose every month. Crew costs are 330 thousand euros per month, insurance is 132 thousand euros, maintenance is 150 thousand euros per month, and energy is 68 thousand euros. In addition, the Ministry of Justice has to pay €178,000 in port fees every month. Total monthly costs: 840,000 euros. Overall, the ship has already saved US taxpayers nearly €20 million since its seizure.
So Justice wants to sell the luxury yacht as quickly as possible, but it is not that easy. There is still a lawsuit pending over the seizure of the ship. Another Russian oligarch, Eduard Khadynatov, claims in a US court that he is the owner of Amadia, not Kerimov.
Khudainatov was head of Russia's state oil company Rosneft from 2010 to 2013. Although he is also not considered exactly “new” (Khadinatov is also said to have good relations with Russian President Putin), he is not on the international sanctions list. So, if the luxury yacht is already his, the Americans have no right to seize it and sell it for their own gain.
Straw man
The Americans do not believe that Khudainatov is the real owner. He was only going to act as a tool for Karimov, to keep the ship out of the hands of the US government. The US Attorney also presented evidence of this in court. For example, according to the Americans, Amadea did not make a single flight without Karimov or members of his family on board, and Karimov personally ordered a number of interior improvements, such as the construction of a pizza oven and a sanitary area.
If Karimov is indeed the owner, he has managed to hide it well through corporate structures that are difficult to detect. For example, the yacht was registered in the name of Millemarin Investments until 2021, and was sold that year for unclear reasons to the newly founded Errigan Marine. Khuditov has offered to compensate the Americans for the maintenance costs they have incurred so far, on the condition that they recognize him as the owner. Justice rejected this offer. As long as the case is in court, Americans' bills will continue to rise.
Since the beginning of 2022, Western authorities have confiscated nearly twenty (super) yachts belonging to the Russian company Richards, which is on the sanctions list. Most of them are chained in Europe. In addition, there are approximately thirty yachts subject to the same sanctions, but they are still “at large” because they are hidden in the ports of countries that do not participate in the sanctions. according to Forbes magazine Western countries seized Russian assets worth 8 billion euros in April 2023, including 11 private planes and 124 country houses, apartments and luxury villas.
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