As the Amadea's saga drew to a close, the court formally ruled that the $325 million superyacht would eventually leave Fijian waters because the government had spent too much money to maintain it.
The history of the Amadea is the most complicated since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the decision of the EUROPEAN Union and the U.S. government to impose sanctions on the property of Russian oligarchs. It crossed the Pacific Ocean in an attempt to find a safe haven, similar to many other superyachts that were hunted down by the government. However, after arriving in Fiji on 12 April, the yacht was not safely secured. Instead, it was detained by fiji on behalf of the United States authorities.
The original crew refused to sail with U.S. authorities and was replaced on May 27 with a new crew member approved by U.S. authorities.
The 348-foot (106-meter) giant yacht, delivered by Leshun in 2017, was stranded in Fiji for weeks as authorities tried to figure out its ownership. Ultimately, the court confirmed that the superyacht belonged to Russian gold billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, one of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies.
The superyacht was embroiled in a lengthy legal battle, with its registered owner, Millemarin Investments, trying twice to overturn the verdict on the superyacht's seizure. Now, the company's second appeal has failed.
The court also ruled that the superyacht, now apparently flying the American flag, must leave the island because it has cost the Fiji government dearly. The U.S. estimates that the yacht will cost between $25 million and $30 million a year for maintenance.
On June 7, Prosecutor General Christopher Pryde said in a statement: "The decision recognizes Fiji's commitment to respect requests for international mutual assistance and Fiji's international obligations." "The court accepted the validity of the U.S. arrest warrant and agreed that issues relating to money laundering and ownership need to be decided by the original competent court (in this case, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia). The Amadea has been handed over to the United States authorities and will now leave Fiji. ”
The U.S. removed the superyacht within an hour or two of the court's ruling, possibly to ensure the yacht would not be drawn into any further legal action.
A day earlier, U.S. authorities seized a $350 million Boeing jet from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, believed to be one of the most expensive private jets in the world.