A former chief executive of Russian state oil company Rosneft has claimed ownership of a yacht seized by U.S. authorities last year as part of a crackdown on alleged sanctions violations. Eduard Khudainatov's lawyers said on November 28 in a filing with federal court in New York that he has always been the ultimate owner of the yacht and is not sanctioned by the U.S. government. The filing says the yacht therefore is “not forfeitable, as it neither constitutes nor is derived from any unlawful activity." The Justice Department says the yacht is owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov.
Ex-Rosneft Chief Says He Owns Seized Yacht, Seeks To Block Forfeiture
Former Rosneft CEO Eduard Khudainatov (file photo)