The captain of a £ 38m superhero arrested in London has said he is the victim of a “public relations ploy” and that the government has “gone wrong”.
Sky News had exclusive access aboard the 58m (190 ft) long Phi, which has not been able to leave Canary Wharf since March.
The ship is under UK sanctions regime against Russia, but its owner, named on the arrest warrant as Sergei Naumenko, is not on any sanctions list.
Image: The superiot has a freshwater pool and an “infinite wine cellar”
“It’s captivating headlines, clicking, getting attention,” Captain Guy Booth, a New Zealander living in the UK, told Sky News.
“Phi is low fruit, it’s the only Russian ship out there.
“It was an easy selection for social media.”
The superyacht, which has a freshwater pool and is described as an “infinite wine cellar” containing 400 bottles, was in London for an awards ceremony when he was arrested by Agency agents. National Crime.
The arrest warrant describes Mr Naumenko as “a person linked to Russia”, which provides the legal basis for the preservation of the property.
“It’s unfair and the owner doesn’t deserve it,” Booth said, adding that his boss is considering taking legal action to free the ship.
He also denied suggestions made by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that Mr Naumenko was connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I think it’s fair and fair that they ask to know exactly who the owner is, their source of wealth, where this ship comes from,” Booth said.
“All this information has been provided and none of it links the ship’s owner to any position in Russian politics, to Mr Putin or to any other political aspirations.”
Image: Phi has not been able to leave Canary Wharf since March
Little is known about Mr. Naumenko, who declined a request for comment. His legal representative told Sky News that he is a retired businessman who made money in civil engineering and investment management.
“He has had a quiet but successful business life in central Russia,” said Sir Ian Collett, general manager of the yacht consultancy Ward & McKenzie.
The government has not confirmed the name of the owner of the superior, but described his property as “deliberately well hidden” at the time of his arrest.
According to Sky News, Phi is registered with Dalston Projects Limited, a two-nation-based company based in the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and carries a Maltese flag.
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“It’s a perfectly normal structure,” said Sir Ian.
“Mr Naumenko is known as the final effective owner because you now have to declare the final effective owner to the authorities after the Panama Papers.
“So everything is perfectly open. There’s no bad background in that. It’s, in my world, a standard swamp practice.”
Image: “The owner doesn’t deserve it,” says Captain Guy Booth
As the boat has been detained and not confiscated, the owner of Phi is responsible for the £ 9,500 a month in mooring fees he is accruing.
A spokesman for the Department of Transport said: “We are firmly committed to stopping assets, such as the Phi, which serve both the scope and the purpose of the sanctions, and we will always be with Ukraine against this despicable and illegal war. .
“The secretary of state will continue to act within his available powers to increase economic pressure on Russia and make life more difficult for Russian elites.”