With notice period expired and no official claim of ownership made, Gov’t prepares to auction Alfa Nero to the highest bidder

With the 10-day notice reportedly having expired, the Gaston Browne Administration is moving forward with its plan to auction the super yacht Alfa Nero.

Notice about the intended sale reportedly had been running in the international media and expired last Friday, March 31.

A Russian man, who identified himself as Alexander Mavrodi of a Moscow address, had indicated, in March, that he would make a claim for the yacht.

However, since no one came forward officially to claim the vessel – valued at US$81 million and registered to Russian oligarch Andrey Guryev and his daughter – the Government has deemed it abandoned.

Reportedly, it will be sold to the highest bidder, and the proceeds will be deposited into the Consolidated Fund. 

The Browne Administration claims that some of the funds will be used to pay the yacht’s captain and crew, as well as other creditors who have been providing fuel and supplies while it has been moored here. 

The Alfa Nero has been docked in Falmouth Harbour since February 2022, when Russia invaded The Ukraine.

The Government has claimed the vessel is a threat to the safety and security of the harbour and to the country’s well-being and the economy.  It is also said to pose a hazard to the country’s ecology in the event that it sinks during a natural disaster.

The Port Authority Act was recently amended and passed in Parliament, paving the way for the sale. Having received the Bill only on their arrival at the Lower House, Opposition Members refused to debate it, as their request for time to caucus and consult legal counsel was denied.