Supreme Court of Ukraine orders reconsideration of Yeremeyev inheritance case after discovered Ivakhiv's violations
The Supreme Court of Ukraine has ordered a new review of the inheritance case involving the late Ihor Yeremeyev, businessman, founder, and former owner of the "Continuum" group of companies, which manages the WOG gas stations network. This decision followed the revelation of procedural violations by the Member of the Parliament Stepan Ivakhiv, according to an investigative report by "RBC-Ukraine".
The case concerns 25% of the shares in the "Continuum" group, previously owned by Yeremeyev. The businessman passed away in 2015 without leaving a will. His widow, Tetiana Yeremeyeva, accused her late husband’s former business partners, particularly MP Stepan Ivakhiv and entrepreneur Serhiy Lagur, of manipulating the situation in an attempt to take illegal possession of these assets.
According to media reports, in 2021, Ivakhiv finalized a divorce agreement with his wife, allegedly aiming to exclude Yeremeyev’s share from the inheritance. In October 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that these actions might constitute an attempt to circumvent a fair distribution of assets.
The Court annulled the lower court decisions that favored Ivakhiv, citing procedural violations. Court documents revealed discrepancies in Ivakhiv's testimony – initially, he claimed the divorce agreement was notarized, but it was later found to be a simple written document. During the proceedings, Ivakhiv also refused to provide the Supreme Court with a copy of the agreement, as noted in the investigative report.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the case must undergo a thorough reexamination, focusing on potential abuse of legal rights.
Following Yeremeyev's death, his business partners Lagur and Ivakhiv established a trust to manage the "Continuum" holding, each holding a 50% stake. While Yeremeyev’s family remains beneficiaries of the trust, they have no influence over the group's business decisions and have received only a minor portion of the late businessman’s estate, according to "RBC-Ukraine." The investigation revealed that Lagur and Ivakhiv's ex-wife, Svitlana, remain in control of the assets.
The journalists also disclosed a scheme allegedly used by Ivakhiv and Lagur to transfer 25% of Yeremeyev's inheritance, which was supposed to go to his family, into their own control.