Court in Fiji approves U.S. warrant to grab Russian-owned mega-yacht

Fiji's Excessive Courtroom on Tuesday ruled that a huge Russian-owned yacht might be seized by U.S. authorities.

American and Fijian officials declare the Cayman Islands-flagged Amadea is the property of Suleiman Kerimov, an oligarch who constructed his fortune on gold mining. Kerimov was sanctioned in March by the USA, United Kingdom and European Union in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

But an lawyer who represents Millemarin Investments, the company the $325 million ship is registered to, stated it isn't owned by Kerimov. Instead, he argued in courtroom that corporate paperwork traces the ship's possession to Eduard Khudainatov, a former govt at Russia's state-owned Rosneft oil company who has not been sanctioned. 

Kerimov and Khudainatov could not be reached for comment. The company intends to appeal Tuesday's determination.

The Amadea berthed in Fiji on April 13, in accordance with native experiences and the maritime analytics website Marine Visitors. Quickly after, a federal judge authorised a warrant for the ship to be seized and on April 19, Fiji's high prosecutor moved to prevent the ship from leaving.

The Department of Justice couldn't immediately be reached for remark. 

On April 4, the agency announced that Spanish authorities had assisted it in seizing another Russian yacht, the $90 million Tango, which was owned by Viktor Vekselberg, the proprietor of the Russian conglomerate Renova Group.

Laws passed by the Home of Representatives on April 27 would allow the U.S. to sell the yacht and other properties price greater than $2 million seized from Russian oligarchs in an effort to fund the Ukrainian conflict effort. President Joe Biden supports the invoice, which has yet to move the Senate.

"We're going to seize their yachts, their luxurious homes and other ill-begotten positive aspects," Biden stated on April 28 at the White House.

Graham Kates is an investigative reporter masking felony justice, privacy issues and data safety for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham at KatesG@cbsnews.com or grahamkates@protonmail.com