American prosecutors revealed details arrest Amadea yachts senator Suleiman Kerimov. Nike sneakers, pizza ovens and a large toilet gave him away.
In April 2022, the yacht Amadea was seized in Fiji. The cost of the yacht is more than $300 million. Then FBI agents, with the support of Fiji law enforcement agencies, searched the yacht, found a Faberge egg and supporting documents implicating the sanctioned Kerimov in the ownership of the yacht.
At that time, the US authorities classified the sworn testimony of the FBI agent and no details were known. Now, after filing a lawsuit to turn the yacht into US property, the lawsuit contains details describing a cunning scheme for owning the yacht. In 2021, having already fallen under American sanctions, Kerimov decided that he could register the yacht to the Imperial Yachts SARL company, whose president was Evgeniy Kochman. Kochman acted as a fictitious owner of the yacht, although he acted in the interests of Kerimov. This information is confirmed by email correspondence in which Kerimov was referred to only as Guest1 (G1), his children, who were called G2, G3, G4. After purchasing the yacht, Kerimov began to re-equip it and customize it for himself.
@vchkogpu, 23.10.2023 22:16: The Cheka-OGPU has familiarized itself with the 34-page document. The yacht itself is named as the defendant. The FBI seized the yacht in Fiji last year. […] The prosecutor’s office established that the transaction for the sale of the yacht took place with the help of the company Imperial Yachts, and was carried out through a chain of resales, where in one of the transactions Amadea was sold for 1 euro. The Imperial Yachts company provides services to wealthy Russians “to conceal ownership of yachts,” and the president of the company is Russian Evgeniy Kochman.
The plaintiffs prove that the sale is fictitious and Kerimov continues to own the Amadea yacht by the fact that at the beginning of 2022. “Members of the Kerimov family spent several days on board the yacht, during which time one of Kerimov’s children requested design changes to the yacht in accordance with those changes that the owner of the yacht, his family or representative can make.” In addition, US law enforcement officers found documents on the yacht confirming Kerimov’s ownership, including “Kerimov’s guest manifest.” […] Kerimov came under sanctions in April 2018. He, the plaintiffs note, made his fortune through his stake in the gold mining company Polyus Gold (Polyus Gold) and other commodity companies, and he is also a member of the Federation Council. — Insert K.ru
FBI agents found that Kerimov demanded that there always be several pairs of his favorite Nike sneakers on the yacht, gold-plated interior items were replaced with regular ones, and a pizza oven was installed, all of which also had to be agreed upon with Kerimov. During the renovation of the toilets, Kerimov asked to replace the toilets and toilets with similar products, but of a larger size. The materials of the court case with Kerimov’s demand to increase the size of the toilet on the yacht are attached.
Forbes.ru, 10/23/2023, “The US Department of Justice through the court demanded the confiscation of the superyacht Amadea attributed to Kerimov”: The US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on October 23 in which it demanded the confiscation of the superyacht Amadea worth more than $300 million. The Ministry of Justice believes that in 2021 the yacht was bought by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, and then paid more than $1 million for its maintenance through banks, violating thereby US sanctions, reports Reuters.
The yacht owners will have the opportunity to challenge this claim in court, the agency reports. Reuters was unable to contact Kerimov for comment. Fiji authorities seized the 348-foot (106-meter) yacht Amadea on a U.S. warrant in May 2022. The US Department of Justice has filed a statement of claim in the Manhattan federal court; it intends to seek ownership of the yacht transferred to the United States, which is located in San Diego, and then can sell it at auction and transfer the proceeds to Ukraine, Reuters reports. Lawyers for Millemarin Investments (the previous owner of the yacht) stated in 2022 during court proceedings in Fiji that Amadea did not belong to Kerimov, but to the former head of Rosneft. Eduard Khudainatov. Khudaynatov is not mentioned in the lawsuit filed in court on October 23. — Insert K.ru
