Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan tells Antigua.news the recent ruling by the United States Court of Appeals marks a major legal and reputational victory for Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.
On Monday, Prime Minister Gaston Browne scored a decisive legal victory in the United States, with a federal appellate court upholding a lower court ruling that blocks attempts to access his financial records.
In a letter to Browne, his attorney confirmed that the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s decision to reject an application filed by Russian national Yulia Guryeva seeking discovery in the matter.
The ruling also quashed subpoenas that had been issued to major U.S. financial institutions, including the Clearing House and the Federal Reserve.
The appellate court’s decision goes further, ordering that all documents previously obtained by Guryeva’s legal team must now be destroyed, with formal certification required to verify compliance.
Astaphan, who spoke to Antigua.news described the decision as “of extraordinary importance,” noting that the appellate court dismissed an appeal brought by parties linked to a Russian national. The appeal had challenged an earlier ruling in which subpoenas were quashed and sensitive financial documents ordered destroyed.
According to Astaphan, the outcome reinforces the original judgment and brings finality to key aspects of the matter.