Antigua and Barbuda will auction a russian oligarch’s yacht

The government of Antigua and Barbuda plans to sell the superyacht of a sanctioned russian oligarch. The vessel has remained abandoned in the Caribbean Sea since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Alfa Nero superyacht worth 81 million dollars belongs to russian oligarch Andriy Guryev. The vessel remains derelict in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua as of February 2022. The government plans to put the yacht up for auction because the luxury vessel is not being maintained by its owner, writes The Guardian.

“The announcement of the sale of Alfa Nero will be published within 10 days, in accordance with the law on forced sale. If the owner does not claim the vessel within this period, the government of Antigua and Barbuda will sell it to the highest bidder,” said Prime Minister Gaston Brown.

Superyacht Alfa Nero is registered in the Cayman Islands through an opaque offshore company. The vessel includes a 12-meter swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa, beauty salon and helipad. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) determined that Guryev bought a yacht for $120 million in 2014. The vessel was repeatedly used by the oligarch’s family. Instead, Guriev himself denies that he is the owner of Alfa Nero.

Reference: Andrey Guryev is the general director of the russian fertilizer company PhosAgro. Guryev’s fortune is estimated at tens of billions of dollars. The businessman is currently under sanctions from the EU, USA, Great Britain, Australia and Canada.