But a vital question remains as to which oligarch actually owns Amadea. Only one of the two potential candidates faces sanctions. Is Suleiman Kerimov the real owner? This is what the US claims. Kerimov, an economist and former Russian politician, was sanctioned by the US in 2018 for allegedly laundering proceeds from illegal activities and faced further sanctions from Canada, Europe and Britain after Russia invaded Ukraine. Kerimov made a fortune by investing in Russian gold producer Polyus, with Forbes magazine raising his fortune to $ 14.5 billion. Or is it the real owner Eduard Khudainatov? This is what defense lawyers claim. Khudainatov is the former chairman and CEO of Rosneft, the state-controlled Russian oil and gas company. Crucially, Khudainatov does not appear to be facing sanctions at the moment, unlike many oligarchs and people with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who have been sanctioned since the start of the war. As with many superyachts, identifying Amadea’s real estate is difficult because of the shady path of trusts and shell companies. On paper, the superyacht is registered in the Cayman Islands and is owned by Millemarin Investments Ltd., also based in the Cayman Islands. Defense attorneys argued in court that Millemarin Investments Ltd. (sometimes spelled Millemarine) is the legal owner of the boat and that the company is affiliated with the actual or beneficial owner, Khudainatov. But US authorities have claimed that behind all the different fronts, the real owner is Kerimov. On April 19, after the yacht had sailed to Fiji from Mexico, the Supreme Court in Suva ordered Amadea not to leave Fiji until the substance of the U.S. seizure order was determined. Perhaps reflecting on the ownership question, the court later ordered Fiji prosecutors to modify an original call named only Kerimov to include Millemarin Investments Ltd. as the second defendant in the case. At present, the yacht is still sitting in a port of Fiji with its crew of about 25 people spinning on and off the boat, while a police officer remains on board to ensure he stays in place. According to Boat International, the Amadea is 106 meters long and was built in 2017. It has a stainless steel albatross that extends from the bow and weighs more than 5 tons, a tank of live lobster in cooking, a tank of 10 meters (33-foot) ) swimming pool, a hand-painted Pleyel piano and a large helipad. The U.S. embassy in Suva said in a statement that the United States was working with allies and partners around the world to impose costs on Russia over its “war of choice.” “We continue to increase pressure on Putin’s oligarchs and work with allies and partners to claim corrupt profits from some of the people closest to Putin, regardless of where they are held around the world,” the embassy said.
