Business partner of Kolomoisky and Boholyubov in Privat group set to sue them

Businessman Oleksiy Martynov, who was one of the founders of the informal group Privat, is planning to  sue Hennadiy Boholyubov and Ihor Kolomoisky, he said in an interview with Focus.

For in-depth analysis and longer stories, follow us on LinkedIn

"Hennadiy Boholyubov's statement that I am not a partner in the Privat group became news not only for me, but also for many in Ukraine. 99% of people working in the firm, including accountants and company managers, know very well that I was one of the managers and a co-owner of all these businesses. Therefore, I am now preparing documents for the court process, I will defend my rights legally," said Martynov.

The businessman has been a passive shareholder of the group since 2008, having transferred the business to trust management.

He said that in January 2024 he met with Boholyubov in Kyiv and expressed concern about the situation in all business divisions without exception.

"The fish rots without a head – there is no founder, no real owner who understands the situation and understands what needs to be done," said Martynov.

"[Boholyubov] fully confirmed my fears, and we decided that from February I will come to Dnipro, to our office, and together with him we will put in order the main business lines. In the end, the day before the meeting, Hennadiy canceled it, citing business and personal questions," said Martynov.

According to him, during a month and a half, Boholyubov did not find time to meet.

"Furthermore, from third-party sources I received information about his decision to sell part of the assets without consulting me. After these events, I decided to withdraw from the partnership, which I informed Hennadiy on May 22, 2024, to which he replied: 'I would also with pleasure. There is nothing to withdraw from'. And already on June 20, 2024, I received a message from him that he did not know what kind of partnership I was talking about," said Martynov.

"I am sure that it will be obvious to judges in any European country that I have never donated, given or sold my share in our joint business to two other partners," said Martynov.

Ihor Kolomoisky has been in the pre-trial detention center since September 2023 in the case of bank fraud and money laundering.

Hennadiy Boholyubov left Ukraine in June 2024, after which he was charged with illegally crossing the border.