The fate of a Russian-owned, $300 million superyacht seized by U.S. authorities in Fiji could soon be determined by an appeals court there.
The court heard arguments Wednesday from the U.S. Justice Department, two weeks after federal agents won a lower court order in Fiji to seize the 348-foot yacht from Fiji's Lautoka harbor. U.S. officials say the vessel belongs to sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.
When agents boarded the Amadea and ordered the crew of 20 to sail east, Russian lawyers got involved. Eduard Khudainatov, a former chairman of the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company Rosneft, filed an affidavit to say he owns the Amadea.
Several superyachts have been seized from sanctioned Russians around the world. Khudainatov isn't on a sanctions list, and U.S. officials note that he is also the on-paper owner of another superyacht tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. says Khudainatov is attempting to shield the Amadea – and its lobster tank, swimming pool and helipad – from global sanctions.
“The fact that Khudainatov is being held out as the owner of two of the largest superyachts on record, both linked to sanctioned individuals, suggests that Khudainatov is being used as a clean, unsanctioned straw owner to conceal the true beneficial owners,” the FBI wrote in a court affidavit.
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