The United States government can now remove the Amadea a $US325 million luxury yacht owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, currently docked in Fiji.
A Fijian High Court Judge refused an application to stay his earlier ruling to allow the enforcement of a US Justice Department warrant to seize the luxury vessel which has been docked in Fiji for almost a month.
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Justice Deepthi Amaratunga told the court the Mutual Assistance Act which facilitated the enforcement of US seizure action limits his ability to stay the earlier order.
US officials based at the Embassy in Fiji are expected to make an announcement with the Fiji Police Force this afternoon explaining action taken overnight Thursday and plans to sail the Amadea out of Fiji.
Fiji Police boarded the vessel on Thursday, seizing the vessel and its contents and handed the property to US representatives from the Coast Guard, the FBI and maritime authorities.
The Department of Justice announced Friday morning the vessel was placed in the possession of the US Marshall's Service.
Suleiman Kerimov, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, is not believed to be on the vessel.
