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Italy’s finance police have seized a super-yacht from Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko in the port of Trieste.

The seizure of the 143-m vessel, called ‘SY A’ and valued at €530 million, is as high an eight-storey building and is the largest sailing yacht in the world, reports Italian newspaper   Corriere della Sera .

The move is part of measures taken against Russian tycoons included in the EU ‘black list’ for sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The vessel, which can reportedly accommodate 60 guests and crew, is equipped with a large swimming pool, an underwater observatory and a helipad.

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A £530 million mega yacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized on Friday by Italian authorities.

The vessel, called “SY A”, was in storage at the northeastern port of Trieste , a statement from Italy ’s financial police said.

Mr Melnichenko was one of a number of Russian elites recently sanctioned by the EU over close supposed links to the Kremlin, in response to Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine .

In announcing its decision the EU said Mr Melnichenko - who owns fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK - was among a group of 36 businesspeople who met with Mr Putin and other officials on February 24 to discuss the impact of economic sanctions by the EU and EU.

The EU Council decision said: “The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine.

“It also shows that he is one of the leading businesspersons involved in economic sectors providing a substantial source of revenue to the government of Russia, which is responsible for annexation of Crimea and ​destabilization of Ukraine.”

The businessman is worth approximately £8.4billion ($11 billion) - making him the eight richest man in Russia, according to Forbes.

The 143m (469ft) long superyacht was constructed by German shipbuilder Nobiskrug and features a host of amenities, including an underwater observation pod and hybrid diesel-electric propulsion.

European countries have responded rapidly to seize assets from Russian oligarchs and have already taken a number of the sailing vessels.

Italian authorities have taken Lena belonging to Gennady Timchenko, in the port of San Remo and the Lady M owned by Alexei Mordashov in nearby Imperia.

And French customs officials seized the yacht of Rosneft boss Igor Sechin, before it attempted to flee a French Riviera port.

A number of superyachts owned by Russian billionaires appeared to have found temporary haven in the Maldives, a luxury holiday destination, that crucially does not have an extradition treaty with the US or EU.

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Ukraine war: £443m superyacht owned by oligarch Andrey Melnichenko seized in Italy as part of sanctions

The vessel, the biggest sailing yacht in the world, is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

News reporter

Sunday 13 March 2022 01:14, UK

A Russian-owned superyacht valued at £443m has been confiscated by Italian police in the port of Trieste as part of a global crackdown on wealthy oligarchs.

The Sy A yacht is owned by billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, 50, who made a fortune in fertiliser production and coal.

The vessel was seized on Friday evening.

Designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, the vessel is the world's biggest sailing yacht at 143m in length.

Read more: Russia says Western arms shipments now 'legitimate military targets' - follow latest updates on Ukraine war

Footage shows police cars approaching the triple-masted yacht and officers boarding it.

Italian authorities last week seized £120m in luxury yachts and villas belonging to Russian billionaires in picturesque retreats such as Sardinia, the Ligurian coast and Lake Como as part of sanctions against oligarchs linked to Vladimir Putin.

A statement from the Official Journal of the European Union described Melnichenko as belonging to the "most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government".

It added: "On 24 February 2022, in the aftermath of the initial stages of Russian aggression against Ukraine, Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, along with other 36 businesspeople, met with President Vladimir Putin and other members of the Russian government to discuss the impact of the course of action in the wake of Western sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine."

A spokesperson for Melnichenko said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine and has no political affiliations".

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list.

"We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail."

A number of oligarchs have sought to move their superyachts to safe locations to avoid confiscation.

Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris has been spotted in the small Adriatic Sea state of Montenegro.

The 533ft Solaris was seen on Saturday outside the Porto Montenegro marina in the coastal town of Tivat after arriving from Barcelona.

There was no immediate comment from the Montenegrin authorities on the arrival of the £460m vessel.

The NATO country has joined Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government .

The Chelsea Football Club owner is one of seven more Russian oligarchs who have had sanctions placed on them by ministers in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A government document announcing the move said that Abramovich has had a "close relationship for decades" with Putin.

The UK is the first nation to sanction Abramovich, who has been described by the government as a "pro-Kremlin oligarch".

The government has now sanctioned more than 200 individuals and entities.

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Italian Police Seize Russian Oligarch Andrey Melnichenko’s 468-Foot ‘Sailing Yacht A’

The list keeps growing with the impoundment of "sailing yacht a" and suspicion that "scheherazade" might be connected to vladimir putin., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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Italy’s finance police seized one of the world’s most iconic sailing yachts, owned by a Russian oligarch. Andrey Melnichenko’s Sailing Yacht A , with an estimated value of $578 million, was impounded in dry dock at the Port of Trieste, according to a statement from the Guardia di Finanzia. Melninchenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9 as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin following its Ukraine invasion to discuss the potential economic impact of EU and American sanctions.

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Melnichenko owns the major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and SUEK, a coal company. He also owns the 390-foot Motor Yacht A. A spokesperson said in a statement that Melnichenko has nothing to do with politics and that he has removed himself from the board of Eurochem and SUEK after the EU sanctioned him. “He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations,” said the statement.

US intelligence officials have also said they are trying to link the Scheherazade , a $700 million superyacht in dry dock in Italy, to Putin. The New York Times reported that the US government has made no definite conclusions about the yacht’s ownership, but believe it could be owned by the Russian president. The yacht’s captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, told the Times that Putin had no stake in the yacht, but declined to name the owner. Bennett-Pearce said he would provide Italian police with documents that divulged the owner’s name. The Italian Sea Group, which owns the shipyard where Scheherazade is dry docked, said that, based on “checks carried out by relevant authorities,” the yacht is “not attributable to the property of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Roman Abramovich, who owns Solaris. last week was placed on the UK sanctions list.  Courtesy of Lloyd Werft

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was also added to the UK sanctions list days after he announced the sale of the football club. Abramovich, who owns a string of supercars and several private jets, also owns the superyachts Solaris and Eclipse. Solaris is reportedly sailing towards Israel, where Abramovich has dual citizenship.

On March 3, France’s finance ministry said that it had impounded Amore Vero , a yacht owned by Igor Sechin, CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft. The EU had sanctioned Sechin earlier that week, calling him one of Putin’s “most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend.” German authorities also detained the 512-foot superyacht Dilbar in Hamburg, owned by Alisher Usmanov. Reports said the crew was fired last week. On March 5, Italian authorities impounded two yachts, Lena and Lady M , owned by Gennady Timchenko and Alexei Mordashov, respectively.

On Friday, the US State Department placed Viktor Vekselberg on its sanctions list. Two of Vekeselberg’s luxury assets, an Airbus A319-115 jet and his yacht Tango , were identified as “blocked property.”

The superyacht Scheherazade was impounded in Italy during an investigation to uncover whether it is owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Video Still/YT

The seizures have prompted the superyacht industry to distance itself from the oligarchs. Italian yacht builders Sanlorenzo and Azimut both released statements that they have limited exposure to Russian clients, and none are on the sanctions list. Heesen Yachts released a statement that two Russians sitting on its supervisory board of directors have resigned their positions. The builder said Heesen is 100-percent Dutch-owned company and that Pavel Sukhoruchkin and Pavel Novoselov had nothing to do with its day-to-day operations.

Ownership of many Russian yachts is often hidden by shell companies in tax havens like the Cayman Islands. They are not only hard to trace, but actually seizing and selling them could present a legal quagmire that could take years to resolve.

Some are wondering whether seizing the oligarchs’ private yachts and jets will work. “Sanctions are another example of the West doing what it does best, which is just throwing a lot of cash at the problem and hoping it gets solved,” Olga Chyzh, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told the Washington Post. “However sad they are to let go of their Western assets, oligarchs have even more to lose if Putin is no longer there to protect them.”

Eclipse is another yacht owned by Roman Abramovich.  Robb Report File

In the meantime, some oligarchs are taking their yachts to destinations like the Maldives , the Seychelles and Dubai, which have no extradition treaties with the US and EU. Dubai has become a favorite destination for Russian tourism and wealth.

Alex Finley, a former CIA officer, has been tracking the yachts from Barcelona. Using the hashtag “Yacht Watch,” she posts updates on Twitter for Russian-owned superyachts.

“For me, the yachts are a big, easily recognizable symbol of the more serious side of this [Russian invasion]: These are people who support a dictator, and have been supporting him in carrying out destabilization operations against democracy, while at the same time coming here and taking all the benefits of the exact same democracies they were destabilizing,” Finley told the Washington Post.

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The $578 million megayacht owned by Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italy

• Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko's yacht was seized Friday, Italian authorities said.
• Sailing Yacht A is the world's largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long and has eight decks.
• Melnichenko was sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A megayacht belonging to Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko was seized by Italian authorities on Friday, CNN reported.

A statement from Italy's finance police said the yacht, known as SY A or Sailing Yacht A, was worth around 530 million euros, or $578 million, according to CNN. It also said the yacht was currently in storage in Trieste, Italy. Maritime tracking data viewed by Insider confirmed the location of the yacht in the Adriatic Sea.

Melnichenko is one of the billionaire oligarchs sanctioned by the European Union in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melnichenko, who is worth $11 billion according to Forbes, founded fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and coal energy company SUEK.

In announcing its decision, the EU council said Melnichenko "belongs to the most influential circle of Russian businesspeople with close connections to the Russian Government." It also said he was among a group of 37 businesspeople who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials on February 24 to discuss the impact of potential sanctions.

"The fact that he was invited to attend this meeting shows that he is a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin and that he is supporting or implementing actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as well as stability and security in Ukraine," the EU said, adding it also showed he is "providing a substantial source of revenue to the Government of Russia."

In a statement provided to Insider, a spokesperson for Melnichenko denied the EU's accusations about his connections to the war in Ukraine.

Related stories

"Andrey Melnichenko is an international self-made entrepreneur. He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations. To draw a parallel between attending a meeting through membership in a business council, just as dozens of businesspeople from both Russia and Europe have done in the past, and undermining or threatening a country is absurd and nonsensical," the statement said.

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list. We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail," the statement continued.

The spokesperson also noted Melnichenko resigned as a member of the board and main beneficiary of both EuroChem Group  and SUEK this week, as the companies announced in separate statements on Thursday. He also said both companies are privately owned and not affiliated with any government, and that EuroChem Group is based in Switzerland.

Sailing Yacht A is the worlds largest sailing yacht at around 469 feet long, according to SuperYachtFan.com . It has 300-foot masts, eight decks, a swimming pool, and an underwater observation pod. It's one of several megayachts owned by Russian oligarchs that are subject to sanctions.

Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires have tried to escape sanctions by transporting their luxury yachts to places like Dubai, which has not enacted sanctions, and the Maldives, which does not have an extradition treaty with the US.

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News | World

Italian police seize Russian billionaire’s £443million superyacht

Italian police have seized a superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Igorevich Melnichenko, the Prime Minister’s office announced.

It comes days after the businessman was placed on an EU sanctions list following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine .

The 143-metre (470-foot) Sailing Yacht A, which has a price tag of 530 million euros (£443 million), has been sequestered at the northern port of Trieste, the government said.

The vessel, designed by Philippe Starck and built by Nobiskrug in Germany, is the world’s biggest sailing yacht.

Oligarch Melnichenko owned major fertiliser producer EuroChem Group and coal company SUEK.

The companies said in statements on Thursday that he had resigned as a member of the board in both companies and withdrawn as their beneficiary, effective Wednesday.

Videos on social media show police in cars with flashing lights approaching the triple-mast yacht as officers begin boarding.

A spokesperson for Melnichenko, Alex Andreev, said the businessman had "no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations".

"There is no justification whatsoever for placing him on the EU sanctions list," his spokesperson told Reuters. "We will be disputing these baseless and unjustified sanctions, and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

Last week, Italian police seized villas and yachts worth 143 million euros (£119 million) from five high-profile Russians who have been placed on the sanctions list.

The luxury properties were sequestered in some of Italy’s most prestigious retail estate locations - the island of Sardinia, by Lake Como and in Tuscany - while two superyachts were grabbed at their moorings in northern ports.

Billionaire businessman Alisher Usmanov had a villa worth 17 million euros seized on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.

Oleg Savchenko, a member of the Russian parliament, had his 17th century house near the Tuscan city of Lucca, worth some 3 million euros, taken from him.

Uzbekistan-born metals and telecoms tycoon Usmanov is well known in Italy for owning multiple properties on Sardinia.

Italian media said Mordashov owned a villa worth some 66 million euros ($72 million) on the same island.

Taking into account the assets of his whole family, Forbes magazine estimates that Mordashov had an estimated net worth of $29.1 billion before sanctions hit.

Mirko Idili, a coordinator of the CISL union in Sardinia, has warned the sanctions and a reduced presence of rich Russians this summer could negatively affect the island’s economy and put more than 1,000 jobs at risk.

The police operations were part of a coordinated drive by Western states to penalise wealthy Russians linked to President Vladimir Putin.

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Triest, Italien - Grösste Segeljacht der Welt festgesetzt – Besitzer wohnt in der Schweiz

Triest, italien : grösste segeljacht der welt festgesetzt – besitzer wohnt in der schweiz.

Das auf einen Wert von rund 530 Millionen Euro geschätzte Schiff mit dem Namen «Sailing Yacht A» liegt im Hafen von Triest an der nördlichen Adria. Besitzer soll Kohle-Milliardär Andrej Melnitschenko sein.

Darum gehts

Italienische Behörden haben eine weitere Megajacht eines russischen Milliardärs festgesetzt. Das auf einen Wert von rund 530 Millionen Euro (540 Millionen Franken) geschätzte Schiff mit dem Namen «Sailing Yacht A» liegt im Hafen von Triest an der nördlichen Adria. Beamte der italienischen Finanzpolizei setzten es am Freitag fest, wie die Regierung in Rom am Samstag bestätigte. Der knapp 143 Meter lange Dreimaster gilt als grösste Segeljacht der Welt.

Die von der deutschen Werft Nobiskrug gebaute Jacht wird dem russischen Kohle-Milliardär Andrej Melnitschenko zugerechnet, der nach Russlands Invasion der Ukraine auf eine EU-Sanktionsliste kam. Die italienische Finanzpolizei hatte bereits vergangene Woche eine andere mutmassliche russische Oligarchen-Jacht festgesetzt.

Ausserdem prüfen laut «New York Times» sowohl US-Geheimdienste als auch die italienischen Behörden derzeit, ob die in Marina di Carrara in der Toskana angedockte Megajacht «Scheherazade» dem russischen Präsidenten Wladimir Putin gehört. Wie die US-Zeitung berichtet, gibt es Anzeichen dafür. Das Luxusjacht-Unternehmen The Italian Sea Group, das derzeit in einem Trockendock an dem 140 Meter langen Schiff arbeitet, teilte aber mit, dass Putin laut Dokumenten nicht der Besitzer ist.

Besitzer der «Sailing Yacht A» wohnt in der Schweiz

Keine Zweifel haben die Behörden indes daran, dass die «Sailing Yacht A» Melnitschenko gehört, der in dieser Woche, einen Tag nach seinem 50. Geburtstag, auf die Sanktionsliste der EU gesetzt worden war. Der in St. Moritz in der Schweiz wohnhafte Oligarch ist Haupteigner des Düngemittelkonzerns EuroChem und des Kohle-Unternehmens Suek. Beide Firmen gaben am Donnerstag den Rückzug des Milliardärs aus den jeweiligen Vorständen und als Begünstigter bekannt.

Nach der Beschlagnahmung teilte ein Sprecher Melnitschenkos dem «Stern» mit: «Wir werden diese unbegründeten und ungerechtfertigten Sanktionen anfechten und glauben, dass die Rechtsstaatlichkeit und der gesunde Menschenverstand sich durchsetzen werden.»

Der italienische Finanzminister Daniele Franco lobte am Samstag das Vorgehen der ihm unterstellten Polizei, die gegen Vermögen, Immobilien und andere Luxusgüter russischer Oligarchen vorgeht. «Bis heute wurden Güter im Wert von insgesamt mehr als 700 Millionen Euro beschlagnahmt», sagte Franco bei einer Veranstaltung in Bergamo.

Nothilfe für Menschen in der Ukraine

My 20 minuten.

Deine Meinung zählt

2 years after being seized, the Russian oligarch’s $580 million megayacht which is even bigger than Jeff Bezos’ Koru left Trieste and sailed for Venice. Just so that it would not escape on the high seas the 469 feet long vessel was guarded by armed ships of the Italian forces.

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Exclusive: pushing the boundaries of technology, Sailing Yacht A

Andrey Melnichenko is a man with exceptional vision. Where other yacht owners like to blend into the background, he wants his superyachts to push the boundaries of design, creativity and technology as well as make a statement. His first superyacht, Motor Yacht A , rocked the superyacht world with its radical design and now he’s done it again.

With an insatiable appetite to drive change he has put together a highly skilled team to build his new creation, currently under construction in Germany. Boat International was given exclusive access to the yacht, and we can reveal for the first time its name, Sailing Yacht A , and that this huge new project is a “sail-assisted motor yacht”.

This is the second yacht in Melnichenko’s portfolio. His first, Motor Yacht A , split opinion, but today stands as one of the most talked about and recognisable yachts in the world. But Sailing Yacht A is a much bolder move and Melnichenko has raised the stakes even higher with a radically designed yacht that introduces new technologies and techniques never before used in the shipbuilding industry. He also broke down barriers by creating his own project team to undertake the build from start to finish. Sailing Yacht A is a monument to invention.

Philippe Starck , who created Motor Yacht A , and from there went on to design Venus for the late Steve Jobs, is working once again for Andrey and Aleksandra Melnichenko on the project. “I am honoured and happy to bring to life the owner’s dream of what will be the summit of high technology and poetry,” says Starck.

Sailing Yacht A is a unique story that began as far back as 2008 when eight of the world’s leading designers were invited to submit their ideas for a huge project – the creation of one of the world’s biggest sail-assisted private yachts. Initially, French designer Jacques Garcia was chosen for his designs, but later there were concerns about the progress of design development, and the owner decided on a change of direction.

Sailing Yacht A is slated for delivery in 2016, although her masts were not stepped when Boat International was invited on board in July. The interior was also under wraps, but here we can take a look at some of her incredible statistics.

She is a three-masted, 142.81 metre (LOA) sail-assisted motor yacht, with a moulded beam at the widest point of 24.88 metres, an eight metre encapsulated keel and a gross tonnage of approximately 12,700GT. For a vessel of this size it was a challenge to find a shipyard that had the capacity, knowledge and skills to put together the naval architecture and engineering for the motor yacht side of the project. The one chosen, given its skills in building large yachts, was Nobiskrug in Germany.

For the sailing design, rig and keel, and associated structural engineering, Dykstra Naval Architects  in The Netherlands was appointed for its advanced technical abilities demonstrated on various world-class sailing yachts. Aloft Sailing Yacht A carries three of the largest and most highly loaded composite freestanding structures in the world produced by Magma Structures in the UK. The custom booms were made by Future Fibres in Valencia, and the custom sails by Doyle Sails in the USA.

With a hull and superstructure predominantly constructed of steel and incorporating composite and accents of carbon fibre, in order to keep the weight and draught to an acceptable level, Sailing Yacht A is the highest classified vessel of her type: (Maltese Cross) 100A1 Passenger ship Sail Assisted, (Maltese Cross) LMC UMC and (Maltese Cross) 100A1 Yacht Mono G6.

Propulsion comes from a customised hybrid diesel-electric package made up of two MTU 3,600kW diesel engines, and two 4,300kW electric motors, driving shafts ending in highly skewed five-bladed Andritz controllable pitch propellers. She is expected to cruise under power at 16 knots with an expected range of 5,320 nautical miles and will have a top speed of 21 knots.

With her uninterrupted shard-like appearance she carries her eight decks aft along the sheerline, which slopes up towards the stern, reaching a full beam width of 24.88 metres at the widest point. All her machinery is hidden within the hull structure, and as you can see, everything, including the windows, are flush. The bridge control centre for propulsion and sailing systems is on deck seven and there is a touch-and-go helicopter pad on deck six. There is accommodation available for up to 54 crew.

There are many more technical advances, innovations and surprises throughout her hull, decks and keel, which Boat International will reveal, in detail, in an exclusive feature in the November issue.

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Il maxiyacht dell’oligarca Melnichenko è già costato all’Italia 7 milioni: battaglia al Tar

Bloccato dal marzo dello scorso anno, è al centro di uno scontro sulla proprietà. Per i legali non sarebbe del magnate. Polemica sulle spese di mantenimento. Il sindaco Dipiazza: «Spreco di denaro pubblico»

Da una parte il governo italiano, dall’altra una società straniera, rappresentata da due avvocati che chiedono l’anonimato e garantiscono di non sapere chi sia il loro cliente in carne e ossa: «Il referente è per noi questa società». Si è aperta così, davanti ai giudici del Tar del Lazio , la battaglia legale che ha per oggetto la barca a vela più grande del mondo, il Sailing Yacht A , bloccato a Trieste dalla Guardia di Finanza nel marzo dello scorso anno in esecuzione delle sanzioni decise dall’Unione Europea contro gli oligarchi russi . E il panfilo in questione, secondo le Fiamme Gialle, è di Andrej Melnichenko , nome che dal 9 marzo dello scorso anno fa parte della lista nera dell’Europa. Descritto come uomo della «cerchia più stretta di Vladimir Putin », Melnichenko, classe 1972, è uno dei magnati più facoltosi cresciuti all’ombra del Cremlino, con un patrimonio stimato da Forbes in 27,5 miliardi di dollari in buona parte legato al carbone e ai fertilizzanti.

Le posizioni

Il provvedimento che ha disposto il congelamento del megayacht , da mesi all’ancora nel golfo di Trieste, è stato impugnato dal sedicente proprietario del bene: «Una società che non fa parte dell’elenco di quelle listate da Bruxelles», precisano i legali che naturalmente puntano al dissequestro e al risarcimento del danno subito. «Non ci sono dubbi, il proprietario è Melnichenko», taglia corto la Guardia di Finanza, le cui ragioni sono sostenute in Tribunale dall’Avvocatura dello Stato che difende il ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze . Va detto che il mese scorso, Alexander Byrikhin, l’uomo della comunicazione dell’oligarca, era intervenuto sulla vicenda con una precisazione: «Lo yacht ora non è di proprietà di Andrej Melnichenko; appartiene a un trust con il quale il signor Melnichenko non ha alcun rapporto», aggiungendo che non batte più bandiera dell’isola di Man ma della Sierra Leone. Precisazione alla quale aveva prontamente risposto la Finanza: « Una cosa è certa: da quando un bene è congelato la proprietà non può passare di mano, quindi se era di Melnichenko prima lo è anche adesso . Quanto alla bandiera, è possibile che sia cambiata ma questo è del tutto ininfluente». Sulla stessa linea l’Agenzia del Demanio che ha in gestione il panfilo: «Non abbiamo registrato modifiche dell’assetto proprietario».

Il mantenimento

A complicare la vicenda si è messa poi un’altra questione: i costi di mantenimento. Stiamo parlando di uno yacht unico, tre alberi, 143 metri di lunghezza, 25 di larghezza, 12.600 tonnellate di stazza. Valore approssimativo: 450 milioni di euro . Un gigante del mare ultramoderno, luccicante, blindatissimo, che ha richiesto per mesi la presenza a bordo di un equipaggio di una ventina di uomini. Naturalmente pagati dallo Stato italiano. A ciò vanno aggiunte le spese di vigilanza e di stallo e quelle sostenute per tenere in efficienza un gruppo elettrogeno particolarissimo. Insomma, a conti fatti, gli esperti hanno stimato un esborso di circa 750-800 mila euro al mese . «Questo si chiama spreco di denaro pubblico, vergogna — è insorto il sindaco di Trieste, Roberto Dipiazza —. Fino a oggi è costato allo Stato oltre 7 milioni di euro . Non li recupereremo mai perché troveranno certamente il modo di non pagarli...». Detto che il Comune c’entra ben poco con le spese sostenute per il mantenimento del panfilo, Dipiazza ne fa una questione di tasche pubbliche in generale. Se anche il governo italiano vincesse davanti al Tar la disfida della proprietà, che peraltro costituisce un importante test per tutti i ricorsi fatti dagli oligarchi in questi mesi, i legali della «misteriosa» proprietà intravedono già un possibile contenzioso su questo fronte.

La procedura prevede che, il giorno in cui il panfilo verrà riconsegnato al legittimo proprietario, quest’ultimo possa rientrarne in possesso solo dopo aver pagato le spese di manutenzione sostenute dall’Italia . «Che però potrebbero essere considerate eccessive». C’è infine un rischio, questo ventilato dai finanzieri: «Che il proprietario decida di lasciare il bene allo Stato e a quel punto potrebbe diventare una grana: chi se la va a prendere una barca del genere?». Al molo Adriaco, la considerano un mezzo mostro. Sono oramai dieci mesi che se ne sta in mezzo alla rada, grigia e impenetrabile come un agente segreto venuto dal mare. Dipiazza la trova bella: «Se c’è una cosa positiva è questa dai, non è male, di sera, al tramonto...».

14 gennaio 2023 (modifica il 14 gennaio 2023 | 08:48)

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