Posted on 05/11/2023 11:22:57 AM PDT by dennisw
Boat branded an 'icon of Russian power' is being fought over in the High Court
A Russian-owned £38 million superyacht seized by the UK government at the start of the invasion of Ukraine is at the centre of a High Court tug of war.
The Phi was called an 'icon of Russian power' by the then-Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last year.
National Crime Agency officers boarded and detained the enormous 200ft cruiser, which is owned by Sergei Georgievich Naumenko, in March 2022.
Naumenko wants an order setting aside the decision to detain the Phi following the outbreak of war in February 2022
A judge has overseen a preliminary High Court hearing in London and heard arguments from lawyers representing him and current Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
'Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the National Crime Agency and Border Force Maritime Intelligence Bureau investigated vessels with connections to Russia,' said the judge, in a ruling on preliminary issues which has been published online.
'The Phi was identified as a vessel of interest.
'On 28 March 2022, the then Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, exercised powers ... to detain the Phi, on the ground that it was owned, controlled or operated by a person connected with Russia.'
He said a 'substantive hearing' was due to be staged in July.
The big boat has a wine cellar and freshwater swimming pool,
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The 192ft vessel, pictured, which boasts a freshwater swimming pool and an 'infinite' wine cellar, was boarded by officers from the National Crime Agency hours before it was due to leave Canary Wharf, in east London
Seized: Officials board Phi, pictured, in Canary Wharf last year, which is owned by a Russian businessman
UK investigators believed the boat, called Phi, belongs to a Russian businessman named Sergei Georgievich Naumenko. Pictured: The National Crime Agency during the seizure
As he should get it back. That was wrong in the first place.
Not at war with Russia but still seizing the property of its citizens.
Where is the helicopter? I would never buy a mega yeacht without a helicopter on board.
Definitely wrong...
Good.
You can’t just seize property without due process.
It shouldn’t be the business of a country just to steal stuff from people they just dislike or come from countries they dislike. It makes investing in your country seem less secure
If anything they could just tell them to leave
It has a flying sub
‘Where is the helicopter? I would never buy a mega yeacht without a helicopter on board.’
In the hangar deck.
This is a bad precedent. Sergei Georgievich Naumenko is probably a very bad man, but it is his vessel. Using the same logic what if courts decide the enemies of the left are bad men and start seizing their property? They will probably start with Trump and Elon Musk.
£38m superyacht is seized in London as investigators believe …
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10665671
WebMar 29, 2022 · Investigators think Phi is Russian businessman’s Sergei Georgievich Naumenko It boasts a freshwater swimming pool and an ‘infinite’ wine cellar within its …
Well, it isn't acceptable to the 80% of the world outside of the West. And, that is leading to de-dollarization that going to negatively impact Main Street Americans.
Ukraine has become totalitarian hellhole. What's going on there is what the same people running this war want to implement in this country.
Wars of aggression are illegal under the international law, making Russia an “enemy country” and its property “enemy property”, subject to confiscation.
Give it to Zelensky. Maybe some of his men can turn it into a missile destroyer. ;)
Ukraine is working hard to put a brave, heroic face on a bad situation. While the battle over Bakhmut continues to dominate the attention of Western pundits and politicians, the war in Ukraine is raging in other locations, including Zaporozhye, Maryinka, Avdyevka, Petrovskoye and dozens of other cities and hamlets. Russia has ample supplies of men, tanks and ammunition. Ukraine does not. Russia is choosing to fight a war of attrition rather than large scale maneuver. I realize this is frustrating for those arm-chair generals longing for a General Patton to break out of hedge row country and go scampering across France. Apart from the whining complaints from Prigozhin, there is no sign of panic, fear or frustration on the Russian side. The essential question remains — how long can Ukraine hold out?
Ukraine SitRep: Delayed Counteroffensive, Russian Defense Lines, Weapon Efficiency
Ukraine does not have the personnel to sustain a longer war. Nor does the 'west' have any spare weapons that could give the Ukraine a 'decisive advantage'.
K-Clown, how dare you compare thieving, degenerate Russian oligarchs to the righteous farmers of Holland! Your mind is on the fritz. Go get your long delayed, "Check up, from the neck up". And no more playing Russian Roulette, Cov19 injections and boosters for you!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.