German authorities have confiscated some thirty paintings worth several million euros that were part of the furnishings of a yacht owned by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, which had been held in the port of Hamburg, as part of the sanctions imposed on President Vladimir Putin’s allies in retaliation for his war in Ukraine.
The luxury vessel under the name of ‘Dilbar’ has been docked in the port of Hamburg for several months and had already been the target of a raid by German authorities in September, reports public broadcaster NDR.
In this latest operation, thirty paintings worth millions of euros were confiscated, including a canvas by the prominent Franco-Russian expressionist painter Marc Chagall. However, Usmanov, through his communication services, has denied that he is the owner of these paintings as well as of this vessel.
In October of this year the authorities also carried out a search of a residence owned by Usmanov in the city of Tegernsee (south), where more works of art were found. According to German law, the oligarch should have declared all his assets, including these art treasures, which he did not do.
In that sense, the German Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating him for possible irregularities, such as money laundering, evasion of up to 555 million euros in taxes and for infractions to the law of foreign trade, details the portal t-online.
