Because of oligarch superyacht
USA accuse Swiss-Russian dual citizen
The US is chasing a Swiss-Russian dual citizen. He is said to have helped a Russian oligarch disguise ownership of his superyacht.
Published: 9 minutes ago
1/4
A Swiss-Russian dual citizen is being sued for this super yacht.
The US has indicted a Swiss-Russian dual citizen and a Brit. They are said to have helped a Russian oligarch affected by US sanctions to ensure that his superyacht is not confiscated.
The 51-year-old dual citizen is on the run while the other accused man, a 52-year-old Briton, has been arrested in Spain, the US Justice Department said.
Said to have helped disguise superyacht owners
The two men are accused of helping Viktor Vekselberg, a close ally of Putin, to cover up that he owned the yacht Tango. The yacht is valued at $90 million. As head of the Renova Group, a Moscow-based conglomerate, Vekselberg was put on the US sanctions list in 2018 in the wake of the Russian invasion of Crimea.
The US judiciary accuses the 52-year-old Briton, who runs a shipping company in Palma de Mallorca, of having renamed the ship “Fanta” in order to continue working with US suppliers despite the sanctions.
Further business with the USA
The two men are said to have enabled the yacht’s employees to continue doing business with US companies. They are said to have paid in currencies other than the dollar and used middlemen, it was said.
The 78 meter long ship was finally confiscated by Spain in April at the request of the USA. In March, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the United States announced that it would set up a special unit to pursue “corrupt Russian oligarchs” and anyone violating Washington’s sanctions against Moscow. (SDA)