The Court of Appeal has ruled against an appeal from Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, the daughter of Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev, who was hoping to prevent the sale of the superyacht, Alfa Nero.
Guryeva-Motlokhov had appealed the High Court decision by Justice Rene Williams to refuse an injunction application.
The Alfa Nero has been embroiled in a legal battle over its auction and sale by the Antiguan government for the last six months.
The Antigua Observer reports that Dr David Dorsett, who represents Guryeva-Motlokhov, expressed disappointment at the decision but stated that the constitutional case against the government remains unaffected.
“The Court of Appeal dismissed the claim of my client, but it held that she has a serious case as far as the constitutionality of the Port Authority Amendment Act 2023 was concerned, and it was not a frivolous case as the government has suggested,” he said.
The 267-ft vessel has been in Antiguan waters for nearly two years and has been in the government’s possession since April.
The government continues to pay a weekly bill of US $28,000 to keep the vessel afloat.
Dorsett claimed that the situation could have been avoided “had the government not ignored the approaches to it by the owner of the Alfa Nero prior to the auction”.
Since the lawsuit brought by Guryeva-Motlokhov, the government has struggled to officially sell off the superyacht as both Eric Schmidt, the first preferred buyer at the June auction, and Warren Halle have withdrawn their bids for the vessel.
The article quotes Dorsett as saying he believes that his client’s legal battle against the government could last another year if the matter makes its way through the Caribbean court system.
“There is a hearing in December which is to determine whether certain evidence that the government has put forward in the defence of its case is proper evidence. I suspect a substantive hearing on the High Court action is not going to be possible until maybe June of next year and then, of course, you will have to see how that decision goes.
“If there is an appeal, that may take another year and if there is a further appeal to the Privy Council, that may be another year or eight months,” he said.
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Kudos to the AG and his team for continuing to prove their wisdom and the naysayers fools. If this had gone the other way, the comment section would be popping. Must be something to want to see your nation burn
@Tenman. This is not a victory. Who is going to buy it??? And do you believe that Antigua have more money than a Russian oligarch’s daughter? This is just sending us further down a rabbit hole from which we will not emerge.
If you really love this country, ask Gaston to return the boat to its rightful owner before a Russian hypersonic missile settles the score
@Tenman: This is not going to have a happy ending.Remember I told you so on 11/24/2023.The Russian Mafia do not care about man,woman or child.He who does not hear feels.
@Tenman
If the nation burns, blame greedy Gaston and his AG. Since when you can seize people private property without a court order under the guise that the yacht was abandoned and a danger to the environment, with the crew on board. Antigua government naive no hell.
So now the owner shows for her yacht. Why hold on it? Just give the woman her property and let her pay incurred costs
Who wants to buy a stolen yacht with the Russian submarines and navy all over the place.
Was he fire in Falmouth Harbour a just take warning?
While sinking money into Alfa Nargo, Gaston claim say things hard. Throwing good money after bad investment.
The court is going to give the woman possession of the vessel and award her court costs which will equal all accumulated charges against the boat. Gaston, the government, and the long suffering taxpayers of Antigua will once again be left holding the bag for this crazy attempt by Browne and co. to cash in on some foreigners misfortune. What folly is this!
@Ivor – Try and remember, if Dorsette does go to the privy counsel, their prior ruling regarding this same matter. (see below). These days unfortunately my friend Dorsette has become a bloviator. Gather he values the money being paid above his reputation.
“Last week, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council rejected an application for an injunction from lawyers for the Flying Dutchman Overseas Limited, seeking to block the completion of the sale. – July 29th)
Someone should tell the United States government to take the confiscated vessel to San Juan and reimburse Antigua when the vessel has a final disposition. This whole matter is unusual and a challenge to the Antigua government. Once the United States placed its grip on the vessel, the Antiguan government should have said get it out of here and reimburse the expenses.
@tenman.
What you are failing to realize in this matter, the same issues that so many mentioned from the beginning of this entire debacle, is that Antigua do not have the type of money this billionaire has, and it will be a huge burden on the tax payers for Gatson to fight this thing all the way to the end.
It’s not worth the fight,plain an simple. But the Ego of man is his own downfall, and this is just a ego boost for Gatson and fo fight this lost case.
He might win the battle and get the money back that he has spent, but the war would be lost, because Antigua simply do not have this kind of money and backing this billionaire has.
But I guess your too dumb to see all this and think you win something because the courts deny a simple request in your favor.
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