US Insists On Closed Hearing Of Case Of Amadea Superyacht Detained In Fiji - Reports

The United States has insisted on an in-camera hearing of the case of the Amadea superyacht, detained on the Fiji Islands and presumably owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, for fear of the disclosure of confidential information about anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Washington, the Fiji Times reported on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th April, 2022) The United States has insisted on an in-camera hearing of the case of the Amadea superyacht, detained on the Fiji Islands and presumably owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, for fear of the disclosure of confidential information about anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Washington, the Fiji Times reported on Monday.

According to the newspaper, Jayneeta Prasad, a lawyer from the Fiji Public Prosecutions Director's office, said that the issue was heard by the country's high court in Suva earlier in the day.

Prasad reportedly said that Washington had demanded that the testimony be given in a judge's office due to the presence of confidential information about anti-Russian sanctions. In addition, the US urged the court not to release the information to media and asked journalists not to report anything from the courtroom.

According to the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation, Suva lawyer Faizal Haniff appeared at the trial on behalf of the Millemarin investment company, which is registered as the owner of the Amadea yacht.

The lawyer reportedly said that the court needs to make sure that the yacht was acquired as a result of criminal activities before granting the restraining order for the vessel.

The judgment on an application filed by Fiji Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who is seeking to register Washington's warrant for the confiscation of the superyacht, will be delivered on May 3, the broadcaster reported.

Earlier in April, local media reported that the Amadea superyacht, presumably owned by Kerimov, had entered the port of Lautoka on the Fiji Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The yacht was later confiscated by the Fiji police on suspicion of having entered the country's economic zone without proper permission from the relevant authorities. Sayed-Khaiyum asked the country's high court to ban the yacht from departing from its current location and register a US request for the seizure of the vessel.

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 EU sanctions over Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian forces. In response, the West rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media and financial institutions.