Snake Island, Sihanoukville: Snake Island is for sale by an anonymous Russian ex-billionaire.

He is selling the island because he wants to "spend more time with his family," of course. That's the reason why anyone sells anything in Sihanoukville, right?

All cash offers considered, but he would also be willing to trade for a "get-out-of-jail-free card" if you happen to have one lying around.



All offers should be mailed to:

Inmate #7773477899953
Lefortovskiy Val, 14
Moscow, Russia, 111250

Love that shot of The Shit River. Best beach in the world indeed.

The "Shit River" is Victory Beach. The better beach "Hawaii Beach" is right next to the bridge. I swim there all the time, and except for the White Rabbit Russian restaurant, its a Cambodian weekend/holiday beach with almost no one there during the week.

The island for sale? I thought the American company, Interstate Hotels & Resorts had gotten the lease and were in the planning stages of a one billion dollar project? (Its on the internet.)

BTW/ Interstate Hotels and resorts is owned by the government of China.

SIHANOUKVILLE (Khmer Times) –Cambodian military police are guarding the island empire left behind by Russia’s deported tycoon Sergei Polonsky. The government is deliberating the fate of his properties – and of his associates here.

Of Mr. Polonsky’s eight islands, business appears to proceed normally at Koh De Kol. Royal Cambodian Navy gunboats have been spotted around Damlong Island, the distant island where he and five Russian-speaking friends were arrest on Friday.

Here on the coast, police and Mr. Polonsky’s security staff are guarding the long single-lane bridge to Koh Puos, or “Snake Island.” Security is not airtight. Curious photographers have made their way onto the bridge.

Island Left Empty

On Saturday, 21 people, a mix of Cambodian and foreign employees of the tycoon, were arrested on Damlong Island. They were taken to Sihanoukville for questioning, essentially completing the evacuation of the island.

Properties Left Behind

Mr. Polonsky had promised to invest $1 billion to develop island-based eco tourism here. The businessman boasted of having leased eight islands, including Koh Damlong.

According to Chris Devonshire-Ellis, founding partner of the law firm Dezan Shira & Associates, Cambodian islands in the Gulf of Siam belong to the state.

Mr. Devonshire-Ellis said that it is likely that Mr. Polonsky entered into fixed-term lease agreements, rather than outright purchases.

“Such agreements generally have default clauses which would nullify the agreement, should Mr. Polonsky be found to be in breach,” he explained. “Typically, under such circumstances, the land would revert to the landlord, in this case, the Cambodian government.”

“It may also be due damages from Mr. Polonsky in terms of any unpaid terms, or re-development losses,” he added.

Physical improvements on the island – basically buildings – may belong to Mr. Polonsky’s friends or his common law wife, Olga Deripasko. According to her Facebook page, the businessman gave her at least one small island.

If Mr. Polonsky participated in joint ventures, equity belonging to a defaulting partner can be seized or sold on, after an audit to determine residual value.

Associates Detained Here

Along with Mr. Polonsky, five other Russian nationals were arrested Friday.

Major General Ouk Heiseila, chief investigator at the Ministry of Interior’s Immigration Department, commented about the five people now in Phnom Penh.

“Those Russian nationals have a passport with visas to stay in Cambodia,” he said in an interview. “Even though they have a passport, we have charged the Russian nationals with ‘affecting Cambodian national security.’”

“After our immigration police investigated and researched their personal Facebook pages and laptops, we found that currently, those Russians have posted illegal weapons and other illegal instruments on the internet,” Mr. Heiseila added.

All are staying at the immigration department in Phnom Penh for further pending processing. Other government officials have said they will be deported from Cambodia.

Moscow Charges

In Moscow, Mr. Polonsky is currently in a cell at the city’s notorious Matrosskaya Tishina jail.......

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