Cabinet Discusses U.S. Lawsuit Over Alfa Nero Sale

The Cabinet has discussed the current lawsuit in a U.S. Federal Court in Puerto Rico, which seeks to investigate how money from the sale of the Alfa Nero was spent.

The government received $40 million when it sold this yacht to a Turkish billionaire.

Lawyers representing the daughter of a Russian billionaire are asking the court for access to the financial records of several officials, including the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne. 

The government has been criticized for taking the yacht from the family and selling it without providing proper documentation.

The Alfa Nero, a 265-foot yacht, was abandoned by its previous owner, Russian businessman Andrey Guryev. 

His daughter, Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, claims she is the rightful owner and is seeking to recover the yacht. Her lawyers are requesting information about financial transactions involving various people and companies over the last five years.

Martin De Luca, one of Yulia’s lawyers, mentioned that the disappearance of funds from the yacht sale raises concerns and suggests possible wrongdoings.

Other people being investigated include the prime minister’s wife, his son, the general accountant of Antigua, and the port manager.

However, during a Cabinet meeting, members expressed concerns about certain political factions trying to undermine the government. They stressed that all records provided to the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda are transparent and accessible to the public.

“The records are clear as submitted to the High Court of Antigua and Barbuda in
affidavits that are public. The absence of national pride and the willingness to
make false accusations against public officials, in order to score political points,
are all very evident in the false reporting which the political party operatives
enjoy,”.

The Cabinet urged citizens to focus on verified information instead of politically motivated claims.

As legal proceedings move forward, the government said it aims to defend its reputation and clarify the facts surrounding the situation.

In August 2022, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Guryev, labeling him as a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The U.S. also classified the yacht as “blocked property” to prevent it from being seized.

In July 2024, after several bidders dropped out, the government sold the Alfa Nero to an anonymous buyer for about $40 million, even though it was originally valued at $120 million.
Investigators later revealed that the buyers were Robert Yildirim and Ali Riza Yildirim, linked to a Turkish construction and shipping company called the Yildirim Group.

There are also ongoing legal cases related to the Alfa Nero in both Russia and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.

One case argues that the seizure and sale of the yacht were unconstitutional, while Browne has called the lawsuit from Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov “frivolous.”