In another legal matter that is of interest to the government and people of Antigua and Barbuda, are media reports that the US government is seeking compensation for the monies it spent on maintaining a Russian sanctioned yacht moored in one of its marinas.
Media reports state that the government is asking the court to charge Eduard Khudianatov upwards of US$25 million spent maintaining the Amadea superyacht seized by US authorities in 2025.
In response to this development, Prime Minister Gaston Browne, said this further justifies the action of the government in selling the similarly sanctioned superyacht, Alfa Nero, rather than incurring a huge maintenance fee and then having to battle to recoup the monies spent.
“It shows the wisdom to sell, instead of incurring US$5M annually in fees, which was beyond our means.
“The ship was sanctioned by the US, not the Antigua and Barbuda government. Had we left the ship there (in the Falmouth Harbour) for a few more years, the charges on the boat would have been astronomical, with a declining value. We could not have gone to US Treasury or State department for reimbursement. We would have gotten stuck with the maintenance costs, if we did not sell,” he explained.
It has been further explained that with the Alfa Nero under sanctions by both the US and UK governments, what many have not realized is that it was impossible to even buy a fuel filter for it, as every engine part was under sanction including the engines.
“With the failure of the Bilge pumps, and very possible without maintenance, the Alpha Nero could have sunk right there without any insurance, in our most sacred harbour, ending our valuable Yachting Tourism Sector, which contributes about 3% of our GDP! Additionally, the question then would have been who would have been required to pay the hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the environmental disaster that would have been created,” one of the persons advising the government on the matter observed.
