Alleged Putin yacht worth 700 million dollars found in Italy

The investigative team of the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, said on Monday that it had found in Italy a 140-meter-long yacht that would belong to the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, and would be valued at $700 million.

The yacht, named “Schherazade”, is now docked in the Italian town of Marina de Carrera, a small town on the Tuscan coast.

The investigation admits that it has not been able to confirm documentarily that the vessel belongs to Putin, but considers that the best proof is that it is employed by members of the FSO, the Federal Protection Service.

The FSO is the body responsible for the security of the president, senior officials, the Kremlin and the various official residences of the Russian leader.

“Even in Italy, thousands of kilometers from Moscow, people officially listed as security guards and Putin's personnel work,” says Maria Pievchij, one of the participants in the investigation, in a video posted on the Navalni team's website.

The employees of Navalni, who is currently serving two and a half years in prison, emphasize that all the crew members of the yacht, except the captain, have Russian citizenship.

In particular, they mention a certain Sergey Grishin, an FSO agent who would serve as an assistant to the captain of the yacht, Guy Bennett-Pearce, an English citizen, and other Russian crew members residing in Sochi (Black Sea).

The boat, which has two helipads and even a hangar, is considered the only yacht over 140 meters in length in the world whose owner is unknown.

The mega yacht also has a gym and a swimming pool with a retractable deck that can be converted into a dance floor.

Opponents demand the arrest of the “Schherazade” and the publication of documents on the cost of its construction and with what money is paid for its maintenance.

Recently, Bennett-Pearce assured the New York Times that he has never seen Putin aboard the boat, although he did not rule out that the owner is a Russian citizen.

The Italian Police are now investigating who owns the yacht and whether it belongs to any Russian businessman or even Putin himself, within the framework of the sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) on Russian oligarchs for military intervention in Ukraine.

The Guardia di Finanza (border police and tax offences) is clarifying the ownership of this and other ships in the country, sources close to the investigations informed Efe at the time.

“Scheherazade” is the title of a symphony by Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, which reinforces suspicions that whoever is behind this luxurious ship may be a Russian millionaire.

In recent weeks the security forces of several European countries have arrested yachts belonging to Russians close to Putin such as the head of the Rosneft oil company, Igor Sechin.

The Russian Justice will begin reading on Tuesday a new sentence against Navalni for fraud and offenses to the court that could lead to another 13 years in prison.

(With information from EFE)

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