Statement by the Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr Konata Lee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CABINET OFFICE REJECTS POLITICALLY TIMED “ALFA NERO” CLAIMS
AS DESPERATE AND MISLEADING
The Office of the Cabinet has taken note of a post now being circulated by elements aligned with the United Progressive Party (UPP), purporting to rely on a filing made on April 25, 2026 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in relation to the Alfa Nero matter.
This latest effort, appearing just days before the general elections, is a transparent and desperate attempt to mislead the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
The public must understand a simple and important fact: a court filing is not evidence; it is a self-serving statement of allegations that must be tested and proven. This one has not been.
The filing in Florida has not been tested, not been accepted, and not been adjudicated by the Court. It is merely a document in which one party advances claims for its own purposes.
Indeed, the filing is no different in substance from allegations that have already been pursued elsewhere and have not succeeded.
The individual advancing these claims, Ms Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, is the daughter of Andrey Guryev, a Russian oligarch who has been sanctioned by the United States. She has pursued these allegations in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, without success, and is now attempting to revive them through fresh proceedings in another forum. This background is material because the Alfa Nero was itself caught up in the international sanctions regime arising from Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It is also a matter of record that this Florida proceeding is not a case against the Government of Antigua and Barbuda or its officials. It is a discovery application involving private parties, including yacht brokers. Any attempt to portray it otherwise is deliberately misleading.
Further, senior officials of the Ministry of Finance have already provided a full and detailed accounting of the proceeds of the sale of the Alfa Nero. That accounting was submitted to the courts in the United States and forms part of the official record. These facts stand in direct contradiction to the unfounded allegations now being recycled.
The Prime Minister has also initiated legal proceedings against the principal attorney advancing these claims for false and defamatory statements. This latest filing therefore bears all the hallmarks of a desperate fishing expedition aimed at manufacturing material in response to those proceedings.
The timing of this filing, on April 25, just days before the April 30 general election, raises serious concerns about an attempt to interfere in the democratic process of Antigua and Barbuda. Those concerns are reinforced by the fact that these allegations are now being circulated through channels associated with the political opposition.
Any party can say anything in a pleading. That does not make it true.
What is now evident is a troubling alignment between political actors in Antigua and Barbuda and external interests seeking to advance unproven and previously rejected claims. This conduct is reckless and contrary to the national interest.
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda rejects these allegations entirely. It will continue to defend the integrity of its actions, the reputation of its officials, and the interests of the people of this country.
The people of Antigua and Barbuda should see the Guryeva court filing, and the UPP’s promotion of it, for what it is: a last-minute attempt to mislead the public, spread falsehoods, and influence the outcome of a democratic election.
Mr Konata Lee
Secretary to the Cabinet
Government of Antigua and Barbuda