By Anish Chand in Lautoka
The seizure of a super yacht — reportedly owned by a sanctioned Russian oligarch — by the US government in Spain recently could point to a similar scenario playing out in Fiji in relation to the Amadea which is berthed at Lautoka port.
The US Embassy in Suva did not answer Fiji Times queries yesterday on whether it had made an application to Fiji for the seizure of Amadea.
Fiji police are investigating the ship and the circumstances of its arrival in Fiji.
- READ MORE: Russian billionaires head for Turkey to flee Western sanctions
- Earlier reports on the Amadea
- US seizes Russian super yacht docked in Spain
- France seizes Russian oligarch’s yacht amid EU sanctions
Last week, Spain acted on a request from the US Department of Justice to seize a $180 million yacht, Tango, owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
“Together, with our international partners, we will do everything possible to hold accountable any individual whose criminal acts enable the Russian government to continue its unjust war,” said Attorney-General Merrick Garland after the seizure of Tango.
Al Jazeera reports that a yacht linked to a Russian aluminium tycoon arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Gocek yesterday, as more Russian billionaires head for Turkey to flee Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Oleg Deripaska, founder of Russian aluminium giant Rusal, has been sanctioned by the US, United Kingdom and European Union.
Super yacht arrives
A witness saw the 73-metre yacht Clio arrive off the coast of Gocek in the Aegean coastal province of Mugla.
The Cayman Islands-flagged vessel remains in the bay off Gocek.
The arrival of the Clio in Turkish waters came after two super yachts linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who made a surprise appearance at Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul this month, docked in Turkish ports.
Anish Chand is the Fiji Times West Bureau chief reporter. Republished with permission.
