Russian billionaire’s ex-wife targets his super yacht
Tatiana Akhmedova, the former wife of Russian billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov, who has moved her divorce settlement to a London court, is bent on getting her pound of flesh for the 21 years she had been wife to the gas tycoon. She has set her eyes on a massive asset that Farkhad’s companies own—a 115 m (380-foot), nine-deck luxury motor yacht. At the moment, the yacht is berthed in Dubai. Tatiana is moving one of the largest ever divorce settlements.
The yacht, called Luna, was bought by Akhmedov from another billionaire, Roman Abramovich, and is now priced at a fabulous £250 million ($353 million). This will go a long way in Tatiana’s appetite for a possible £450-million divorce settlement in her favour.
That is easier said than done, though, because a London court’s jurisdiction on a Russian-owned, Dubai berthed yacht is doubtful. So Tatiana is moving other courts, in Dubai, Liechtenstein to the Marshall Islands. What comes off them will be interesting to see.
Mehul Choksi hits a blind alley in Dominica
As fraudster diamantaire Nirav Modi failed in his fight against extradition in London, his uncle and co-fraudster Mehul Choksi, following a run from Antigua and Barbuda—where he had taken citizenship in 2017 and where he had been staying since 2018—to neighbouring Dominica, was caught by the Dominican police. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne requested Dominica to hand the fraudster over to India directly. Mehul Chinubhai Choksi is wanted by Indian law enforcers for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonesty, including delivery of property, corruption and money laundering in his direct involvement in the Rs 13,500-crore loan fraud in the Punjab National Bank.
PM Browne clarified that Choksi will not have the same rights in Dominica as he has had in Antigua and Barbuda. That, Browne said, made it easier for Dominica to repatriate Choksi directly to India. The hunt for Choksi was on and Interpol had issued a Yellow Notice against him. A Yellow Notice is issued by the Interpol to track missing persons.
Bangladeshi journalist out on bail
Noted Bangladeshi investigative journalist Rozina Islam, who was held recently for allegedly taking photographs of documents inside the chamber of an official she went to meet, has been granted bail by a Dhaka court on a Taka 5,000 personal bond. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah also asked her to submit her passport. The journalist, a senior reporter of the daily Prothom Alo, was held in a case filed under the Official Secrets Act. The virtual court granted the bail on a bond of Taka 5,000. Rozina was confined to the health ministry inside the Secretariat for more than five hours before being handed over to Shahbagh Police Station. She was shown arrested in the case on charges of spiriting away “important” documents.
Aung San Suu Kyi makes appearance in Myanmar court
Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel-winning former leader of Myanmar, ousted by the country’s military junta, made an appearance in court for the first time since the military put her under house arrest on February 1. It was a short appearance before a special court in Naypyitaw, the capital of the country. She is defending a raft of criminal charges against her and she has had a large contingent of lawyers in defence, who caught a glimpse of her for the first time. According to the United Nations and foreign governments these charges are clearly politically motivated. Not only she, many of the country’s top civilian leaders are in jail. She was arrested in a pre-dawn raid as part of its coup on February 1. At the court, Aung San Suu Kyi, spent about 30 minutes, listening to the proceedings. Earlier proceedings, during the time of Covid, had been through video conferencing.
Mallya asks London court for money to pay lawyers in India
Ex-billionaire Indian tycoon Vijay Mallya is currently in such dire straits that he has had to ask for funds from a London court to pay his court fees. The former liquor baron, wanted in India for monies allegedly defalcated, has had his assets frozen and survives on a handout “allowance” allowed by the court for his daily expenses.
Mallya has applied to the court for £758,000 (Rs 7.8 crore) from the court funds office in London. He wants this released to pay his lawyers in India. He clarified to the court that he cannot pay it himself, because his accounts have been frozen in the pendency of the bankruptcy proceedings against him.
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He applied to the Chancery Appeals division of the High Court, against a judgment by deputy ICC judge Barnett in February. Judge Barnett had allowed only his historic and future legal fees (as had been incurred before) for defending his bankruptcy petition and his £22,500 (Rs 23 lakh) monthly living expenses to come from the court funds office, but excluded payment for his lawyers in India. Judge Barnett had allowed him access £1.2 million (Rs 12 crore) in total from the court funds office.