A U.S. federal judge has authorized attorneys representing a Russian woman to access financial records related to the controversial sale of a seized megayacht in Antigua and Barbuda—raising new questions about the Caribbean nation’s handling of the multimillion-dollar transaction.
The ruling, issued Monday in New York, allows the legal team of Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov to subpoena the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the U.S.-based Clearing House Payments Co. for records tied to Prime Minister Gaston Browne, members of his administration, and other individuals involved in the $40 million sale of the luxury yacht Alfa Nero.
Guryeva-Motlokhov, daughter of Russian businessman Andrey Guryev, has claimed rightful ownership of the vessel, which was abandoned in Antiguan waters before being seized and auctioned by the government last year. The yacht was removed from the U.S. sanctions list in June 2023, allowing the Browne administration to liquidate the asset.
Questions over yacht sale and missing funds
Despite Browne’s insistence that details of the sale are public, critics—including Antigua’s opposition leaders—have demanded greater transparency regarding how the proceeds were spent. Attorneys for Guryeva-Motlokhov allege that the government has withheld key financial documents, fueling concerns over potential mismanagement of funds.
“The financial records will speak for themselves,” said Martin De Luca of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, one of Guryeva-Motlokhov’s attorneys.
Browne has rejected claims of missing funds, sharing documents with the Associated Press that he says prove the money was accounted for. However, some banking records contained redactions, obscuring details of transactions.
Adding to the controversy, Browne’s wife, Maria Browne, stated in July 2024 that the yacht sale proceeds were used to pay off government debt. Just days before, the prime minister had suggested the funds could go toward developing a resort.
The subpoenas target financial records from Browne, his wife, one of his sons, Antigua’s general accountant, and its port manager, along with 12 entities, including West Indies Oil Co. Ltd., a government-majority-owned petroleum firm. The list also includes Fancy Bridge Ltd., a Hong Kong-based investment company with ties to Venezuela’s state oil company, PDVSA.
Unless Browne or other parties file a motion to block the subpoenas, U.S. financial institutions will be required to comply with the request for records. Meanwhile, legal battles over Alfa Nero continue in courts in Russia and the Eastern Caribbean.
The unfolding case could have significant political ramifications in Antigua and Barbuda, where opposition leaders are expected to increase pressure on the Browne administration for full transparency.
