The United States Court of Appeals has delivered a legal victory to Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne and local officials, rejecting a bid by the daughter of a sanctioned Russian billionaire to unseal financial records concerning the contentious sale of the superyacht Alfa Nero. The appellate court affirmed a Manhattan federal judge's denial of access to unreleased financial records regarding the vessel's liquidation, marking a significant development in the high-profile international asset case.
The legal challenge was brought by Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, a Russian citizen and daughter of sanctioned billionaire Andrey Guryev, founder of PhosAgro. Guryeva-Motlokhov claimed ownership of the 267-foot megayacht and sought financial disclosures and subpoena support to challenge what she termed a 'sham' auction conducted by the Antiguan government in 2024. Her targets for document production included Prime Minister Browne, his wife, their son, Antigua's general accountant, its port manager, West Indies Oil Company Ltd, and Fancy Bridge Ltd.
The vessel was originally seized by the government of Antigua and Barbuda under international sanctions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. To facilitate its eventual disposition, the yacht was removed from the sanctions list in June 2023, paving the way for the government to sell the luxury asset the following year. With the US appeals court now upholding the lower court's decision, Antiguan officials have successfully defended against the financial disclosure demands surrounding the vessel's liquidation.
