The mystery over Scheherazade, the most famous Italian cruise ship with an undisclosed ownership may end as the AFP news agency reported that Italian financial investigations to cruise ships could be wrapped in a few days. Cruise ships have gained an advantage because some cruise ships belonging to Russian oligarchy have been confiscated after Russian invasion to Ukraine. This mostly speculates that Scheherazade is actually belonging to Russian President Vladimir Putin but because a little is officially known about Putin, this is also only speculation.
“We are in the phase of studying deeper and generally more complicated. It is not always easy to associate ownership,” The source quoted by AFP.
Scheherazade is not a cruise ship but a superyacht which costs around $ 700 million. It has two helicopter docks, swimming pools with a retractable cover converted to the dance floor, complete gym and bathroom with gold-plated equipment.
According to the New York Times report, the captain of the ship which is the United Nations denied that Putin was the owner of a cruise ship. He said he had never seen Putin on a cruise ship. But then who is the owner? The captain said there was a strict nondisclosure agreement, but the owner could become Russia.
Why Scheherazade is associated with Putin
Superyacht has secrecy. In fact, the names of cruise ships are also closed. When Superyacht was parked for maintenance work at the Italian Sea Group Shipyard at Marina in Carrara, regardless of the captain, the crew was Russia. But AFP has reported that suddenly, the crew was suddenly replaced with an English crew. Kremlin’s criticism Alexei Navalny claims Putin’s superyacht.
The New York Times has reported that the US authorities have gathered evidence that connects Putin to luxury vessels, which made two trips, in 2020 and 2021, to the Sea Black Sochi resort. Scheherazade has also done two trips to these locations.
Officially, Scheherazade was marked in the Cayman Islands and its owner, Bielor Assets Ltd., registered in the Marshall Islands.
