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Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan
By Aabigayle McIntosh
The government’s legal team will be working to determine the likely impact of a new set of sanctions that have been imposed on the Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, the woman claiming ownership of the Alfa Nero Super Yacht that has been moored in the Falmouth Harbour for close to two years.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in the UK Treasury listed her as being “associated with a person who has been involved in obtaining a benefit” from the Russian government, namely her father Andrey Guryev and her brother Andrey Guryev Jr and is subject to financial sanctions and an asset freeze.
Both have been previously sanctioned by the UK and US in 2022.
Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan said he has already informed Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin and Prime Minister Gaston Browne about the imposition.
“I do not know if it is a googly or yorker, but we will soon find out soon,” Astaphan said.
“I found the Lawyer very careful in the language he used in informing the court that the sanction was imposed. So, we have to initiate a pushback to get full information, and I intend to do so over the weekend,” Astaphan explained.
The sanctions are just one aspect of the latest round in what has been a long-running legal battle.
Dr David Dorsett, the Attorney representing Guryeva-Motlokhov, told the local media that among the applications heard by the court, the judge had dismissed an application by the government to strike out the proceedings.
He said there was an application heard for specific disclosure by the rightful owners of the vessel [Flying Dutchman Limited] and they have asked for the government to disclose certain documents among other things.
Dorsette said that among some of the documents requested was one relating to the insurance status of the vessel and the expenditure report before the government seized the Alfa Nero.
Astaphan said he has a solid team and is confident they will prevail.
“So far, so good. We have been all the applications for injunction, one went as far as the Privy Council and they lost. They lost in the High Court, they lost in the Court of Appeal, and now they want to go back to the Privy Council,” Astaphan explained.
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