(PresidentialWire.com)- The UK Sun reported on Tuesday that a luxurious “super-yacht” called the Scheherazade, moored at the Italian Sea Group shipyard in Marina di Carrara does appear to belong to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 459-foot yacht is one of the most expensive in the world. Earlier this month, Italian authorities demanded the yacht’s British captain, Guy Thomas Bennett-Pearce turn over crucial certification documents and paperwork. Bennett-Pearce has denied the owner is Putin.
But on Monday, a video produced by Putin critic Alexei Navalny’s team of investigators claimed that 70 percent of the onboard crew were allegedly Russian intelligence from the FSO and FSB. The video-makers conclude that the only possible explanation for employing Russian intelligence is the yacht belongs to Putin.
The super-yacht, estimated to be worth approximately $700 million, features marble and gold surfaces, a tile dance floor that can shift away revealing a swimming pool, a spa, a sauna, a theater, two helipads, a gym, and even a ballroom.
The UK Sun recently published photos of the Scheherazade revealing the ostentatious features.
Yacht Captain Guy Thomas Bennett-Pearce has denied the yacht belongs to Putin. Earlier this month, he told the New York Times that he has never met Vladimir Putin, nor has Putin ever stepped foot on the vessel.
Bennett-Pierce told the Times that he had no choice but to turn over the documents to Italian authorities when they turned up at the yacht. And while he did tell the paper that the owner was Russian, he refused to say more citing a nondisclosure agreement.
An unnamed source confirmed to the New York Times that Italian financial police had opened an inquiry into the ownership of the Scheherazade.
Bennett-Pierce told the Times that the investigation by the Italian authorities would clear up the rumors and speculation regarding the yacht’s owner.
Italian authorities are being urged to seize the garish monstrosity.
