Race is on to find out if 450-ft mega-yacht belongs to Putin
A giant yacht that allegedly belongs to Vladimir Putin is out of dry dock, in the water and could be about to leave the Italian marina where it has sat for months.
Crew members in smart white shirts and navy trousers were seen by The Daily Telegraph folding away a large white tarpaulin on the deck of the huge vessel, which is docked in Marina di Carrara on the coast of Tuscany.
They bustled around the deck, checking hatches and carrying lengths of hose.
The Scheherazade, which is more than 450-feet long and has spas, swimming pools and two helipads, is one of the largest superyachts in the world and reported to be worth US$700 million.
Locals say that in recent days there has been a flurry of activity on board the vessel.
Gabriele, 42, the manager of a yacht club within sight of the boat, said: “We heard that it was going to leave the marina last night but maybe it was delayed because of the bad weather. It's not been seized by the authorities so I guess it's free to go at any time.”
Unlike many yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs with close ties to Putin, the Scheherazade has not been impounded because Italian police are still investigating its ownership. That means it is reportedly free to slip out of the marina at any time.
The Guardia di Finanza, the police force conducting the investigation, did not respond to questions from The Telegraph about if they could or would do anything to impede the enormous yacht leaving Marina di Carrara.
Its owner might decide to move it to waters beyond the scrutiny of EU, British or American judicial authorities.
There is precedent for this — Roman Abramovich shifted two of his yachts to Turkey, while other vessels owned by Russian tycoons have headed for the Indian Ocean, Fiji and even Vladivostok.
There have been claims that the vessel may belong to Eduard Khudainatov, a Russian oil tycoon who is extremely wealthy but who has not been hit by sanctions. He is the former chairman and chief executive of Rosneft, the stateowned Russian company that deals in oil and gas. Khudainatov is close to Igor Sechin, an ally of Putin and chairman of Rosneft.
But activists and investigative journalists linked to Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, are convinced it belongs to the Russian president. They obtained information that suggested many of the crew were members of the Federal Protection Service, the Russian agency providing security for Putin and his acolytes.
“Here in Carrara, everyone calls it `Putin's yacht,'” said Giovanni Natale, as he and his wife strolled in the rain along the perimeter of the marina.