In a brewing international dispute that connects Russian oligarchs, Caribbean politics, and a $120 million superyacht, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has drawn a line in the sand.
Browne has threatened legal action following an Associated Press (AP) and other subsequent articles that raised questions about the sale of the superyacht Alfa Nero.
“I have asked my attorneys to determine if this article is defamatory. If so, St Kitts Nevis Times and others, regionally and internationally, will get their opportunity in court to prove that millions are missing from the Alfa Nero sale and precisely who benefited,” Browne stated on his Facebook page.
The threat comes in response to a lawsuit filed in a United States Federal Court in Puerto Rico regarding the purchase amount of the Alfa Nero yacht.
According to the AP article, attorneys for Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, daughter of U.S.-sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, have requested access to financial records of Antiguan officials, including Prime Minister Browne, his wife, their son, the country’s accountant general, and its port manager.
The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda issued a strong statement condemning the allegations, characterizing them as a “politically motivated attempt to malign the Prime Minister and his family”.
The statement noted that the Associated Press article “heavily cites opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) officials” and “falsely implicates” the Prime Minister and other officials.
“The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda is aware of affidavits and evidentiary exhibits filed in the High Court of Justice by Ministry of Finance officials as proof of expenditure from the sale of the Alfa Nero,” the statement said. “The documents confirm that the proceeds from the Alfa Nero’s sale—amounting to US $40 million—were allocated to cover expenses related to the yacht’s maintenance, services, and supplies and payments of the commission to the agency that facilitated the sale of the super yacht.”
The statement further detailed that “approximately US $29 million of the proceeds were used to address critical fiscal obligations of the Government, including payments to domestic and external creditors such as Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, Software One Inc., and judgment debts and land compensation awards.”
The Cabinet “unequivocally states that neither the Prime Minister nor any member of his family or any public official benefited from the sale of the Alfa Nero superyacht”.
Times Caribbean has since retracted its article saying that, “The article, which was based on information provided by the Associated Press, inaccurately represented details surrounding the ongoing court case related to the sale of the Alfa Nero yacht.”
The Alfa Nero has a complex history. The megayacht was abandoned by Andrey Guryev, a Russian billionaire businessman.
It remained anchored off Antigua for more than two years. The government amended an Act to allow officials to declare vessels as abandoned and sell them at auction.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt won the highest bid at $67 million but later dropped out, as did other bidders.
n July 2024, the government sold the Alfa Nero to a Turkish billionaire for a reported $40 million — significantly less than its estimated value of $120 million.
The filing by Guryeva-Motlokhov’s attorneys seeks information related to wire transfers and other transactions involving seven people and 12 entities over the past five years. Among the entities targeted are West Indies Oil Company Ltd., an Antigua-based petroleum storage and distribution company of which the government is a majority shareholder, and Fancy Bridge Ltd., a Hong Kong-based investment firm.
The Leader of the Opposition United Progressive Party, Hon Jamale Pringle has continued to press for answers, stating he has “no reason to doubt the Associated Press report”.
In a press release, Pringle said: “Given the allegation of missing millions and the persons and institutions that are implicated, the Opposition Leader believes the Prime Minister owes taxpayers a full and frank account, including the cost of maintaining the vessel; its ultimate sale; the disbursement of monies received; the reasons for indemnification of the billionaire buyer; and the amount spent in legal fees.”
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda is currently involved in several litigations in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal regarding the sale of the Alfa Nero, with judgments expected soon.
