ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne says Ambassador Johann Hesse was dismissed after court filings revealed that a US$450,000 introductory commission had been paid in the United Kingdom in connection with the 2024 sale of the superyacht Alfa Nero.
Speaking on his weekly programme, the Browne and Browne Show, the Prime Minister said the payment made to Hesse’s business partner, Rufus Gobat, had not been disclosed to the government. He stressed, however, that there is no evidence that Hesse acted illegally.
The issue surfaced in court filings that referenced emails regarding an undisclosed US$450,000 commission tied to the yacht’s sale, naming both Hesse and Gobat.
The filings were framed in a manner that appeared to link Hesse to the Prime Minister, prompting the Cabinet to summon the ambassador “in the interest of transparency and accountability,” according to Cabinet spokesman Maurice Merchant.
Hesse, who served as Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the African Union, appeared before Cabinet last Wednesday after the documents came to light. He told ministers that the commission arose from a private business arrangement during the early phase of the bidding process and was not connected to public funds. He further stated that no government official, Cabinet member, or family member — including the Prime Minister — benefited from the transaction.
Cabinet recorded that a UK-registered company owned by Gobat received the US$450,000 after securing a buyer during the initial stage of the sale process. Gobat joined the Cabinet meeting virtually and stated that the commission had been established in the United Kingdom and that applicable taxes had been paid there. Both men, Cabinet noted, have affidavits supporting their position and intend to issue public statements.
Merchant said Cabinet had not previously been aware that Hesse and Gobat were involved in identifying prospective buyers and called them in to “get to the bottom” of the matter. He also rejected characterisations in the court material describing Hesse as a “right-hand man” of the Prime Minister.
During the post-Cabinet briefing, questions were raised about whether Hesse’s diplomatic role placed him in the category of a politically exposed person, potentially subjecting his private commercial dealings to heightened scrutiny. Merchant dismissed the implication.
“So what? If he’s politically exposed, he should not be involved in private practice?” he asked, arguing that the central issue was whether public funds had been misused. He reiterated that the commission did not come from “government coffers” or from the direct proceeds of the sale, adding that documentation related to the direct sale had already been released.
“The government believes that the Alfa Nero is a dead issue,” Merchant said, maintaining that while officials are not focused on the matter, they will continue to defend the sale against legal and political challenges.
The commission disclosure adds a fresh dimension to a transaction that has remained under scrutiny long after the yacht departed from Antigua. The government sold the Alfa Nero for US$40 million in July 2024, but the sale has since generated litigation and discovery efforts in multiple jurisdictions.
In proceedings before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, a federal judge previously allowed attorneys for Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov, who has challenged the sale, to pursue subpoenas for financial records linked to transactions involving Antiguian officials and entities. A January 2, 2026, status report filed in that court confirmed that discovery efforts remain active, including a July 2025 subpoena to yacht brokerage Northrop & Johnson, and signalled further targeted record requests.
The filing also states that documents produced in the U.S. proceedings have been admitted into related matters in Russia, where hearings are scheduled for March 2026. Proceedings in Antigua and Barbuda connected to the sale also remain pending.
Prime Minister Browne has consistently rejected allegations of wrongdoing, describing claims surrounding the sale and its proceeds as defamatory.
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