Photo: Lurssen
The Amadea saga is about to reach its end, as a court officially ruled the $325 million elusive superyacht is to finally leave Fiji waters because it’s costing government too much money to maintain it.
Since the EU and U.S. governments decided to apply sanctions on Russian oligarchs’ properties following the war outbreak, Amadea has had the most complicated history of them all. It crossed the Pacific in an attempt to find a safe haven, similar to many other superyachts hunted by the government. But, after arriving in Fiji on April 12, the yacht didn’t find what it was looking for. Instead, it was seized by the Fijian authorities on behalf of the U.S. authorities.
Its original crew members refused to sail with the U.S. authorities and were substituted by a new crew approved by the U.S. Authorities on the 27th of May.
The massive 348 ft (106 m) vessel built by Lurssen was stuck in Fiji for weeks, with the authorities trying to figure out its ownership. Eventually, the court confirmed the superyacht belonged to Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire in the gold industry, who is also one of President Putin’s closest allies..
It involved a long legal battle, with Millemarin Investments Ltd., its registered owner, trying to overturn the seizure of the superyacht twice. Now, it lost the second appeal..
The court also ruled that the superyacht, which is now apparently sailing under the U.S. flag, has to leave the island, as it’s costing the government too much money. The U.S. estimates the yacht’s maintenance costs are between $25 and $30 million a year.
“The decision acknowledges Fiji’s commitment to respecting international mutual assistance requests and Fiji’s international obligations,” The Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde, said in a statement on June 7. “The court accepted the validity of the U.S. warrant and agreed that issues concerning money laundering and ownership need to be decided in the court of original jurisdiction, in this case, the U.S. District Court of Columbia. The Amadea has been handed over to US authorities and will now leave Fiji.”
Its original crew members refused to sail with the U.S. authorities and were substituted by a new crew approved by the U.S. Authorities on the 27th of May.
The massive 348 ft (106 m) vessel built by Lurssen was stuck in Fiji for weeks, with the authorities trying to figure out its ownership. Eventually, the court confirmed the superyacht belonged to Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian billionaire in the gold industry, who is also one of President Putin’s closest allies..
It involved a long legal battle, with Millemarin Investments Ltd., its registered owner, trying to overturn the seizure of the superyacht twice. Now, it lost the second appeal..
The court also ruled that the superyacht, which is now apparently sailing under the U.S. flag, has to leave the island, as it’s costing the government too much money. The U.S. estimates the yacht’s maintenance costs are between $25 and $30 million a year.
“The decision acknowledges Fiji’s commitment to respecting international mutual assistance requests and Fiji’s international obligations,” The Director of Public Prosecutions, Christopher Pryde, said in a statement on June 7. “The court accepted the validity of the U.S. warrant and agreed that issues concerning money laundering and ownership need to be decided in the court of original jurisdiction, in this case, the U.S. District Court of Columbia. The Amadea has been handed over to US authorities and will now leave Fiji.”
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