ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Gaston Browne has strongly refuted claims surrounding the sale of the Alfa Nero megayacht, calling them a “spiteful vendetta” driven by political opponents and “foreign forces” seeking to damage Antigua and Barbuda’s reputation.
His response follows a ruling by a U.S. federal judge in New York, granting attorneys for Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov permission to issue subpoenas for financial records related to the $40 million sale of the yacht. The legal action seeks details on wire transfers and transactions involving Browne, his family members, and several Antiguan officials and entities.
Browne maintains that all financial records related to the sale have been disclosed, with only confidential account details redacted. “The financial records will speak for themselves,” he stated, adding, “Not a red cent was diverted or unaccounted for.”
The prime minister dismissed allegations of missing funds as “fully ventilated and debunked propaganda,” accusing the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) of using the case to fuel political attacks. “The UPP is led by desperados who lack capacity and are incapable of participating in anything constructive,” he said.
Browne also took aim at what he described as coordinated efforts to tarnish his administration’s success. “The success of my administration has taken a severe toll on the UPP, to the extent that they have joined with foreign forces, using destructive lies, disinformation, and misinformation to destroy our country’s image abroad.”
The legal battle over the yacht sale has drawn scrutiny both locally and internationally. While opposition figures have pressed for more transparency on how the proceeds were used, Browne insists that the funds were allocated to government debt payments, as previously disclosed by Minister of Housing Maria Browne.
Addressing the ongoing legal challenges, Browne reaffirmed his administration’s integrity. “I shall continue to govern our country with integrity and unprecedented accountability,” he asserted.
With legal proceedings still unfolding in the U.S., Russia, and the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Antigua and Barbuda remains at the center of an international legal dispute over the controversial sale of the Alfa Nero.