Indonesian police have seized the 91.5-metre yacht Equanimity off the coast of Bali as part of a major anti-corruption investigation by the FBI. The purchase of the yacht is believed to have been paid for by Malaysia's 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) national fund.
Indonesian police received a request from the FBI to search for the yacht on February 21. U.S. law enforcement officials turned over evidence to Indonesian counterparts that the vessel was purchased for the purpose of laundering funds.
By the time the warrant was issued, the yacht was heading for the southeast tip of Singapore. There were 34 people on board, all crew members.
Captain Rolfe told police he did not know who owned Equanimity. According to his lawyer, «he only knows that the vessel is owned by a Cayman Islands registered company». The South African, who has worked for Equanimity for three years, stressed that he has no idea about the yacht's connection to Malaysian financier Joe Lowe and only knows his name from news reports.
Meanwhile, it is Lowe who actually owns Equanimity, the FBI believes. The bureau began investigating him last June.
Oceanco Equanimity was unveiled in 2014 at the Monaco Boat Show and was the largest yacht of the show that year. It is the world's first privately owned superyacht built to the requirements for Passenger Yacht Code commercial vessels. The PYC standard allows for a maximum of 36 passengers at a time. The interiors are designed by Andrew Winch to emphasise her Asian roots and the materials used include bamboo and gold leaf.
