SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal intensified Monday after a U.S. federal judge granted attorneys representing a Russian claimant permission to subpoena financial records of Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne and other top officials involved in the controversial sale, the Associated Press reports.
U.S. District Judge in New York approved the subpoena request filed by attorneys representing Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, daughter of sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, the yacht’s former owner. Guryeva-Motlokhov alleges she is the rightful owner of the luxurious 265-foot Alfa Nero megayacht, which the Antigua government seized and sold for approximately $40 million last year.
Martin De Luca, an attorney with the U.S. law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP representing Guryeva-Motlokhov, underscored the significance of gaining access to these financial records, stating, “The financial records will speak for themselves.”
Before serving subpoenas to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the U.S.-based Clearing House Payments Co., Guryeva-Motlokhov’s attorneys are required to provide formal notification to Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the other named individuals.
Prime Minister Browne did not immediately respond to AP’s request for comments regarding the judge’s ruling.
Antigua opposition demands transparency in yacht sale scandal
The yacht sale controversy continues to resonate within Antigua, with opposition leaders demanding clearer explanations regarding how the government allocated the proceeds. Concerns intensified after claims surfaced alleging discrepancies and a lack of transparency about the distribution of funds.
Gaston Browne previously asserted the details of the yacht sale are public. He provided several documents to The Associated Press Sunday, arguing they proved no wrongdoing.
“This is irrefutable evidence that the claim that $10 million is missing from the proceeds is a fabrication,” Browne stated in a written message to AP.
However, critical details within the provided documents, including specific bank payment and transfer forms, were heavily redacted, complicating efforts to verify financial movements, including reported loans and advances related to the Alfa Nero sale proceeds.
International legal battles deepen Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal
Legal actions tied to the Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal extend beyond Antigua’s borders, complicating an already intricate international dispute. Multiple legal cases involving the vessel and its contested ownership continue in Russia and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, according to AP reporting.
Adding another layer of complexity, Guryeva-Motlokhov’s attorneys seek documents revealing financial transactions, including wire transfers over the past five years, involving Prime Minister Browne and six other high-profile Antigua officials, as well as 12 corporate entities. Individuals targeted by the subpoenas include Browne, his son, his wife Maria Browne—who also serves as Antigua’s Minister of Housing—and key financial officials such as the country’s general accountant and port manager.
Among the entities named in the subpoena filings are West Indies Oil Co. Ltd., an Antigua-based petroleum distribution company, and Fancy Bridge Ltd., a Hong Kong investment firm with shares in West Indies Oil Co. Venezuelan state-run oil giant Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) also holds shares in the same oil company.
Government’s conflicting statements raise more concerns
The controversy surrounding the Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal has deepened amid conflicting statements from Antigua government officials regarding the usage of proceeds from the sale.
In July 2024, Maria Browne, Antigua’s Housing Minister and Prime Minister Browne’s wife, informed The Antigua Observer that the $40 million in proceeds was used to settle government debts. However, just days prior, Prime Minister Browne had publicly announced his administration was considering allocating the funds to construct a resort.
The contradictory claims have further raised suspicion among opposition parties and the public, intensifying demands for clarity.
Browne, responding directly to Guryeva-Motlokhov’s claims, has also accused her of defamation, signaling that the dispute may further escalate into additional legal action.
Experts have commented on the complexity surrounding international asset seizures, underscoring the need for full transparency. “Governments involved in asset seizures must proceed carefully and transparently to avoid complicated, prolonged legal disputes,” said an international law expert quoted in earlier AP reports.
With subpoenas now cleared to access critical financial records in the U.S., the Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal appears set to become even more contentious and potentially damaging for the Browne administration.
Unitedpac St Lucia News will continue to closely monitor developments in the Alfa Nero yacht sale scandal.
