Fiji Court To Rule On Superyacht Allegedly Owned By Russian Billionaire On May 3 - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2022) A Fiji court will deliver a ruling on the request filed by the United States to seize the Amadea superyacht, believed to belong to Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, on May 3, local media reported on Tuesday.

On April 14, local media reported that the Amadea superyacht traveling from Manzanillo, Mexico, had entered the port of Lautoka on the Fiji Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The US filed a request to seize the vessel as it violated sanctions against Russia.

Faizal Haniff, the lawyer speaking on behalf of Millemarin Investment Limited, the company registered as the owner of the yacht, said that the court has to prove the yacht is "tainted property" before granting the restraining order for the vessel, the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation reported.

According to the news outlet, Haniff said that there is no evidence proving that the yacht was acquired as a result of criminal activities.

The investigation is also focused on a possible violation of the country's Exclusive Economic Zone law and alleged money laundering, which is considered a serious offense on Fiji, with up to 20 years in prison as a maximum penalty, the news agency reported.

Kerimov is one of the richest people in Russia. According to Forbes, in 2021, his fortune grew by almost 60% to $15.8 billion. On March 15, Kerimov was included in the list of Russian businessmen who fell under the Western sanctions over Russia's military operation in Ukraine.