US wins latest legal battle to seize Russian yacht in Fiji
Associated PressWELLINGTON, New Zealand — The United States on Friday won the latest round of a legal battle to seize a $325-million Russian-owned superyacht in Fiji, with the case now appearing headed for the Pacific nation’s top court. Haniff had argued the U.S. had no jurisdiction under Fiji’s mutual assistance laws to seize the vessel, at least until a court sorted out who really owned the Amadea. Haniff said he now plans to take the case to Fiji’s Supreme Court and will apply for a court order to stop U.S. agents sailing the Amadea from Fiji before the appeal is heard. The U.S. argues that its investigation has found that behind various fronts, the Cayman Islands-flagged luxury yacht is really owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician. In his appeal, Haniff argues the U.S. case is based on hearsay and rumors spread by unnamed crew members, and there’s no evidence that Khudainatov couldn’t afford an investment in two superyachts.
History of this topic
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