ORANJESTAD - The American judge has issued an order to confiscate an Airbus 319 registered in Aruba. The aircraft belongs to Russian businessman and MP Andrei Skoch.
According to the authorities in the United States, the Airbus A319-100 has a value of more than 90 million dollars. The seizure follows a violation of US sanctions for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The plane is believed to be in Kazakhstan.
On Monday, a federal judge approved a seizure order, a US Department of Commerce special agent traced the plane to Skoch through a series of empty businesses allegedly intended to protect his property.
Sanctions
The US authorities allege that Skoch has violated US sanctions by using US dollars to pay the registration fees of the aircraft to the Aruban authorities. Insurance premiums would also have been paid through American financial institutions.
The more than $113,000 in registration payments and nearly $285,000 in insurance premiums went through American banks, but they were not licensed.
The seizure warrant states that, in addition to the plane, Skoch owns a yacht called the Madame Gu, a helicopter and a villa at the Four Seasons Hotel in the Seychelles. These assets may not be seized.