A local government official has expressed confidence that subpoenas granted to lawyers representing Russian national Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov will be overturned.
The subpoenas seek access to the financial records of Antiguan officials, including Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
A federal judge in New York granted permission on March 17, allowing Guryeva-Motlokhov’s attorneys to access records from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the US-based Clearing House Payments Company, provided they first notify Browne and other officials.
Guryeva-Motlokhov, daughter of sanctioned Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev, is pursuing these records following the controversial sale of the Alfa Nero Mega yacht, for which she is claiming ownership.
Lionel Hurst, Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, addressed the matter and outlined that Guryeva-Motlokhov has exhausted multiple legal avenues.
“We think that when our lawyers appear, the court will have no other choice but to quash the request for the subpoena itself. This particular plaintiff had utilized the Antiguan courts, went from the High Court to the Court of Appeals to the Privy Council, back again to the High Court, Court of Appeals, and to the Privy Council… and in each instance she lost,” he stated.
The government has assembled a legal team including local counsel through the Attorney General’s office and Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan. They’ve also reportedly retained a US law firm at significant cost—US$35,000 (approximately EC$100,000) for the retainer alone.
“The law firm representing the defendants has described the request as ‘a misuse of the courts in the United States’ and the system of justice,” Hurst added.
The government aims to present evidence regarding the US$40 million received from the vessel’s sale. “We are beginning to bring together the kind of evidence which we have submitted publicly so that everyone can see exactly what happened with the $40 million that were paid for the vessel,” Hurst said, while acknowledging the substantial defense costs. He also said that the Cabinet considers the expenditure necessary.
“If the lawsuit is not defended, a default judgment will be entered against the defendants and the cost would then be even greater.
“Wherever these claims are made, we have a responsibility to defend. The government plans to vigorously defend against all claims.”
Browne reportedly intends to file a defamation lawsuit against Guryeva-Motlokhov. “The Prime Minister knows that this is an attempt to do nothing other than to sully his name, malign him, malign his wife, members of his administration in senior positions, all in an attempt to secure resources that are not hers,” Hurst said.
