A case involving sex-for-hire onboard a luxury superyacht belonging to the Turkish government ended in conviction last week, according to IBI Plus.

The Turkish court found four of the defendants guilty and acquitted six others for organising prostitution aboard the 124m MV Savarona, which was chartered out to private firms.

The group were caught in September 2009 after running a vice ring on one of the world’s largest superyachts before their arrest and trial in December 2010.

The four were accused of “facilitating” and “encouraging” prostitution, but received a suspended sentence of 20 months in prison for “good behaviour”.

Amoung those acquitted was Kazakh businessman Tevfik Arif, who was charged with financing the sex party. The agency report said that Arif bankrolled the party aboard the yacht, which has 17 luxurious suites in addition to the master suite.

The nine prostitutes, including two minors, have now been deported back to Russia and the Ukraine.

The superyacht MV Savarona was once used by Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Government officials said the yacht would be turned into a permanent historical museum.