In the ongoing legal battle over the sale of the luxury megayacht Alfa Nero, a federal judge in the United States has ordered that the financial records of Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda and a number of other individuals, including his wife, must be produced, subject to stringent confidentiality requirements.
The subpoena to investigate the finances of Prime Minister Browne, his wife Marie Browne, his son, and several authorities involved in the sale of the Alfa Nero was temporarily halted earlier this month by a request granted by a U.S. court.
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However, US District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who is seated in the Southern District of New York, issued a memo endorsement on April 22, 2025, that lifted the stay on subpoenas for the financial documents of those involved in the case. He also ordered that the materials be disclosed under a protective order, which restricts access to attorneys by requiring that only legal counsel view the information unless directed otherwise.
In the order, Judge Furman wrote, “Upon review of the parties’ letters the court concludes that the proper way to balance [the] applicant’s interest in avoiding unnecessary delay and movants’ privacy interests is to lift the stay and require production subject to a protective order.”
The historic decision permits discovery to continue in the case filed by entrepreneur Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, who is looking for evidence to be used in international court cases related to the seizure and sale of the Alfa Nero.
International wire transfer records connected to 19 people and organizations suspected of engaging in dubious activities are the subject of the subpoenas. The US court determined that attempts to halt or postpone the subpoenas were without merit and emphasized that, considering the type of documents being sought, Browne’s legal team’s privacy objections were negligible.
The lawyers representing the candidate stated, “This is a strong blow against efforts to delay the truth.”
“The court has confirmed that there is a clear public interest in moving forward, especially given the highly politicized atmosphere in Antigua and Barbuda.”
The applicant’s legal team claimed in their files that Prime Minister Browne had disrupted the proceedings by threatening defamation and intimidation, including offensive internet assaults on opposing lawyers. According to information provided to the court, Browne has publicly threatened to sue the petitioner, journalists, and even D Gisele Isaac, the opposition party leader, concerning the corruption claims.
Following a judge’s approval last month for the applicant’s lawyers to serve subpoenas to get his bank data and those of other officials engaged in the megayacht transaction, “Not a red cent was diverted or unaccounted for,” Browne wrote in a Facebook post. “We have laid bare the records with all of the supporting wire transfers, redacting confidential account numbers.”
Using outdated misinformation that has been thoroughly discussed and refuted, he characterized the action against him and the other local authorities as “a spiteful vendetta, fueled partially by wicked and hateful elements in the United Progressive Party (UPP).”
“Their mantra is to rule or ruin,” Browne stated, adding that he was dismayed that the UPP would “have joined with foreign forces, with their destructive lies, disinformation, and misinformation, to destroy our country’s image abroad.”
Andrey Guryev, a Russian billionaire who started a fertilizer firm, left the megayacht behind. His daughter is pursuing it, claiming ownership.
