A Russian-owned superyacht worth £38million was detained yesterday by the UK’s anti-kleptocracy unit.We have a what now..?!
UK investigators believe the boat, called Phi, belongs to a Russian businessman named Sergei Georgievich Naumenko. It is the first ever yacht to be detained in UK waters due to sanctions.
But mystery remained over the precise reason Phi had been detained because Mr Naumenko does not appear on sanctions lists.
Then...how can they seize his property?
Phi was first identified as being potentially Russian owned on March 13. Investigators were left questioning how the wealth of the ‘small fry’ businessman, who is understood to work in property, matched the value of the custom-built superyacht.
But a source said the boat had been impounded over concerns a wealthy oligarch was actually being ‘shielded by a pretend owner’.
Don't they have to prove it first before seizure? Or is it open season on anyone with a Russian accent now?
And wouldn't it be nice if they showed the same vigour when dealing with other nationalities?
They obviously checked with Magna Carta from 1215, it only applies to people and not to goods, so anything's up for seizure without legal warrant now.
ReplyDeleteI think this has been developing for some years, with the "Cancelling" of anyone arguing against the so-called "Consensus" on Warble Gloaming, &r Covid. But the last few months have shown that governments around the world are now happy to take it a stage further by freezing bank accounts and/or stealing property. This started with the Truckers protests in Canada, but Putin's "Special Military Operation" has seen a massive extension of the behaviour...
ReplyDeleteThe incompetence of officialdom is just staggering.
ReplyDeleteMalice, not incompetence.
ReplyDeleteThis is rule by law. It's just that the government makes up the law as it sees fit and without any real scrutiny and so far it has not had any repercussions from it. It may have been the Russians now but yesterday it was you and I if we can cash in our pockets that they want to take.
ReplyDelete"...so anything's up for seizure without legal warrant now."
ReplyDeleteBe afraid. Be VERY afraid!
" This started with the Truckers protests in Canada, but Putin's "Special Military Operation" has seen a massive extension of the behaviour..."
Until the citizens find a workaround, anyway. Cash and the barter system, anyone?
"Malice, not incompetence."
Indeed!
"It may have been the Russians now but yesterday it was you and I if we can cash in our pockets that they want to take."
If we don't heed the warning, undoubtedly.