The ownerless superyacht of the Russian oligarch may be detained in the port of Fiji

What, in fact, is the point? 

Most recently, a Fijian court allowed a motion by the Fijian government to seize a yacht. A $325 million superyacht Amadea believed to be owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.

Kerimov is a close ally of Russian President Vladmir Putin. He is under US and EU sanctions in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, a Fiji superyacht dealer representing Amadea contacted Reuters. He said that the ship's lawyers dispute that Suleiman Kerimov is the owner. Registration records reviewed by Reuters show the yacht is registered to a company in the Cayman Islands.

Kerimov came under US sanctions in 2014 and 2018 in response to Russian actions in Syria and Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that "the motor yacht Amadea is prohibited from leaving Fiji waters until the completion of the application for registration of a warrant for the arrest of property and (ii) that the US warrant for the arrest of Amadea will be registered."

The U.S. “intends to find and seize the assets of the oligarchs who supported the Russian Federation’s brutal, unprovoked war against Ukraine,” the U.S. embassy in Suva said last week.

classic problem

Of course, one cannot ignore the problem of the crew of this superyacht. The British High Commission in Suva has confirmed that some members of the Amadea crew are British citizens. The group has been on board the vessel since their arrival in Fiji. Before that, 18 days earlier, she left Mexico and crossed the Pacific Ocean.

"We are aware that some of the crew members hold British passports," Paul Welsh, British Deputy High Commissioner for Fiji, told local media. "We are ready to provide consular assistance if required."

The Fiji police chief said all crew members have been questioned since their arrival.

About the yacht

Amadea is a motor yacht with a length of 106.1 m. The vessel is manufactured by Lürssen from Germany. The launch of the superyacht Amadea took place in 2017. The superyacht has a beam of 18.0 m, a draft of 4.1 m and a volume of 4,402 GT.

The Amadea exterior was designed by Espen Øino International, the interior by Zuretti Interior Design, and the naval architecture by Lürssen Yachts. Amadea can accommodate up to 16 guests and 36 crew members, including Captain Amadea. Yacht Amadea has a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. The yacht is equipped with 2 MTU engines which give her a cruising speed of 13.0 knots and a top speed of 20.0 knots. The yacht has a cruising range of 13.0/8000 nautical miles at a speed of 13.0 knots. On board the yacht is 392,000 liters of fuel and 77,000 liters of water.

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23.04.2022