- Antigua government accused of mishandling $40M megayacht sale
- $10M remains unaccounted amid allegations of backroom deals
- Global legal battles span US courts, Caribbean, and Russia
- Yacht value dropped 67% from original $120M estimate
The seizure of the 265-foot Alfa Nero has exposed complex international tensions surrounding sanctioned Russian assets. Attorneys for Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov allege Antiguan officials, including Prime Minister Gaston Browne, may have personally benefited from the vessel's disputed sale. Court filings reveal attempts to trace transactions through 12 entities, including a Venezuelan state oil company subsidiary.
Industry analysts note a 300% increase in superyacht seizures since 2022, with Caribbean nations becoming unexpected players in geopolitical asset disputes. The Alfa Nero case mirrors challenges seen in Malta's handling of a sanctioned oligarch's 148-meter yacht last year, where documentation irregularities delayed proceedings by 14 months.
Antigua's amended Abandoned Vessels Act enabled the forced sale, though legal experts question its compliance with international maritime law. Opposition leader D. Gisele Isaac highlights transparency failures: No office exists to process information requests, despite legislation.The situation underscores broader concerns about small island states managing high-value asset seizures without proper oversight frameworks.
Financial trails connect the Yildirim Group's Turkish conglomerate to the final purchase, though the buyers withdrew from a previous $67M bid by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Maritime tracking data shows the Alfa Nero changed registration flags three times during its two-year anchorage, a common tactic among sanctioned vessels.
