Zambia

Dr. Mahtani and Zambia

With heaps of evidences, Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani declared winner of the Zambezi Portland Case

There are individuals who engage in philanthropic activities only with the objective of gaining followings or establishing a positive perception among media and public. However, only few individuals are present who engage in these activities only in private for the welfare of the public. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is among those few businessmen in Zambia who is not only considered as among the most ethical and transparent business person in Zambia but is also noted for his charitable and philanthropic activities which often go unnoticed due to lack of publicity or any highlights. During his long business career in Zambia as well as other major nations such as United Kingdom, Dr. Mahtani has provided social, financial and economic relief to the local communities in various ways. Be it his charity activities for improvement of correctional centres in Zambia, donations to NGOs and environmental agencies as well as establishing businesses and ventures for providing employment opportunities to the local communities. Dr. Mahtani has always focussed on the people and their benefits before thinking of his own and his organisations. Despite this, majority of the organisations under the ownership of Dr. Rajan Mahtani have remained profitable since their inceptions. This has been possible by good management of people, increased motivation and therefore increased productivities.

The case of Portland Cement Zambia is same as it was established and run by Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani and achieved significant milestones under his leadership. After its unlawful takeover, Lusaka High Court was approached but the court failed to provide judgement despite dragging the case for more than a decade. However, Court of Appeal gave quick and accurate judgement on 31st January 2019 after looking into evidences like original shareholders agreement, financial transaction of 1 billion kwachas between Dr. Mahtani and Zambia Portland Cement and many more. Now the ownership of Zambezi Portland is final, the next step for Dr. Mahtani will be revamping the factory.

Court Of Appeal Announces Final Decision On Portland Cement, Dr. Mahtani Declared Winner

Zambezi Portland Cement

The case of Portland Cement Zambia is age old. The case was registered by Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, a noted businessman and philanthropist in Zambia. The case was registered at the Lusaka High Court by Dr. Mahtani claiming that the factory was illegally taken over from him. Despite sharing numerous evidences and testimonials, Lusaka High Court took more than a decade to announce the final judgement. Various reasons can be attributed to this significant pending in court decision including lack of visibility on the case, frequent transfer of judges as well as inability of the judges to make a firm decision on the case. The final judgement on the case was announced during the month of May, 2018. The judge who gave the decision was justice Nkonde and prior to the final decision, justice Nkonde had closed all case proceedings. It was also announced that the final decision will be given based on the submitted oral and written evidences. This was extremely positive news for Dr. Rajan Mahtani as majority of his evidences and testimonials were more than enough to prove his claim over the factory. The judgement from Lusaka High Court was, however, extremely controversial. According to this judgement, Ventriglias were announced as only shareholders of the Zambezi Portland Cement.

To counter this decision, Dr. Rajan Mahtani then approached the Court of Appeal. The judge at the Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde who gave the final judgement on the case on 31st January 2019 after looking into all evidences and testimonials. As per this final decision, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments holds 58 percent shares at the factory and is the majority shareholder of the factory. On the other hand, Ventriglias owned Ital Terrazzo Limited holds just 42 percent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership over the factory. Based on this decision, it is clear that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the legal owner of the factory.

Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani Wins Portland Cement Case At The Court Of Appeal

On 31st January 2019, Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani won the long pending Portland Cement Zambia case. The case was won at the Court of Appeal, the second court where the case was established. Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a noted businessman and philanthropist in Zambia with numerous successful business ventures, including but not limited to Mahtani Group of Companies and Finsbury Investments. He is also the legal owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory which was declared at the Court of Appeal. Before the Court of Appeal, the case established at the Lusaka High Court almost a decade back. Dr. Rajan Mahtani had all the evidences and testimonials to support his claim and despite that, justice Nkonde from the Lusaka High Court gave a controversial judgement. According to this judgement, Ventriglias were only shareholders of the Zambezi Portland Cement. After this controversial decision, Dr. Rajan Mahtani approached the Court of Appeal.

Dr. Mahtani and Zambia

The judge at the Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde who gave the final decision on the Portland Cement Zambia on 31st January 2019. According to this judgement, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments held 58 percent shares at the factory and was the majority shareholder of the Portland Cement Zambia factory. On the other hand, Ventriglias owned Ital Terrazzo Limited holds just 42 percent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership. Based on this judgement it is confirmed that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the factory. This decision from the Court of Appeal also aligned with the original shareholders agreement established in the year 2007.

While giving the decision, justice Mwinde from the Court of Appeal also said that the judge below him was wrong in declaring Ventriglias as the only shareholders of the Zambezi Portland Cement as this decision was misdirected and without any evidence.

The Case Of Portland Cement Zambia Is Peculiar With Two Different Court Decisions

Zambia is a developing nation and as a result, faced several issues such as corruption, bribery and similar unethical practices which turned the legal and justice system devoid of transparency and ethics. Dr. Rajan Mahtani has been a long victim of this unethical system and the case of Portland Cement Zambia is a prime example. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is a noted businessman in Zambia who has been fighting for the legal takeover of the Portland Cement Zambia for more than a decade. The case was first registered at the Lusaka High Court after Dr. Mahtani claimed that his factory was illegally taken over from him. Despite sharing numerous evidences and testimonials, Dr. Rajan Mahtani was not given justice. After more than a decade of case proceedings, justice Nkonde from the Court of Appeal finalised that Ventriglias were only shareholders of the Zambezi Portland Cement. It was a controversial judgement and as a result, Dr. Rajan Mahtani was left with no other option than to approach the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal is one of the highest civilian and judiciary legal system in Zambia and as a result, expectations were high from this court. The judge at the Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde who gave the final judgement on 31st January 2019, nine months after the case was registered there. The decision was made after looking into all evidences and testimonials. According to the final decision from Court of Appeal, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments is majority shareholder of the Zambezi Portland Cement with 58 percent shares. On the other hand, Ventriglias owned Ital Terrazzo Limited holds just 42 percent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership over the factory. This decision from the Court of Appeal aligned with original shareholders agreement and based on this fact, it is established that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the legal owner of the factory.

Portland Cement Zambia Ownership Goes Back To Dr. Rajan Mahtani, Court Of Appeal Announces Decision

Zambezi Portland Cement

Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a noted businessman in Zambia and only few of the businessmen still following a complete ethical and transparent business path. For the past ten years, Dr. Rajan Mahtani fought for the legal ownership of the Portland Cement Zambia factory. After the judge at the Lusaka High Court failed to provide right judgement for the factory, Dr. Rajan Mahtani approached the Court of Appeal. The judge at the Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde and he gave the final judgement on the case on 31st January 2019. According to this final decision, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments is majority shareholder of Zambezi Portland Cement with 58 percent shares. On the other hand, Ventriglias owned Ital Terrazzo Limited holds just 42 percent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership over the factory. Based on this decision from the Court of Appeal judge, it is clear that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the legal owner of the factory.

While giving this judgement, justice Mwinde from the Court of Appeal also revealed some interesting developments to the case. On 6th February 2019, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments paid a sum of K580,000,000 to the court. This payment was made along with interest in compliance with the court judgement. It was revealed that this paid was made to complete the commercial registration process for Portland Cement Zambia. At the same time, Finsbury Investments also claimed a sum of K1 billion with interest from the Court. This claim was made with respect to the payment made for entire share capital issues for Portland Cement Zambia. This payment was further confirmed with documents of share transfers made during January 2007 as well as December 2007 and submitted before the court. Based on the evidences, it is clear that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory. This judgement further confirms the legal ownership of Dr. Rajan Mahtani over the factory.

Ranjan Mathani

Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani Definite Winner Of Portland Cement Zambia Case With Court Of Appeal Win

After more than a decade of wait and consistent legal fights, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has been finally declared winner of the Portland Cement Zambia. It is a cement manufacturing factory which is being contested by two big business parties in Zambia. One of them is Dr. Rajan Mahtani, a noted businessman and philanthropist in Zambia with numerous successful business practices included Mahtani Group of Companies, Finsbury Investments and Finance Bank Zambia. He is also the owner of numerous successful international business ventures, especially across United Kingdom. Dr. Rajan Mahtani has made a name for himself with his ethical and transparent business practices. On the other hand, the Ventriglias are in infamous Italian family in Zambia infamous for their coercive and unethical business practices. The case of Portland Cement Zambia was launched at the Lusaka High Court after Dr. Rajan Mahtani claimed that his factory was illegally taken over.

Ranjan Mathani

The case ran at the Lusaka High Court for ten years and final decision on the case was given during the month of May, 2018. This decision was extremely controversial as the judge concluded that Ventriglias were only shareholders of the Zambezi Portland Cement. To counter this judgement, Dr. Rajan Mahtani then approached the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal provided its judgement on 31st January 2019 and was given by justice Mwinde. According to this judgement, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments is the majority shareholder of the Zambezi Portland Cement with 58 per cent shares. On the other hand, Ventriglias owned Ital Terrazzo Limited holds just 42 per cent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership. Based on this decision from the Court of Appeal, it is clear that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the legal owner of the factory. The judge from the Court of Appeal also condemned the unethical and misdirected judgement from the Lusaka High Court judge.

Legal Counsellors from Zambia Reported Engaging in Money Laundering Activities

Money laundering is an act wherein significant amounts of illegal money or cash coming from various criminal activities are made to look like it is originating from legitimate sources. This makes the illegal money looks legal so that authorities and law are not able to identify the actual source of the money. Similar activities have been in large in Zambia in the past few years. The FIC, an intelligence agency looking into financial frauds recently shared details regarding mass money laundering activities going on in Zambia for a while now. It is regarded as one of the biggest corporate and government scam, involving top officials from the various field.

Money Laundering

The FIC shared a list of names of individuals and companies involved in the act. Some of the names included Masozi M. Banda and Sakwiba Sikota. Banda defended himself by saying that the amount in his bank belongs to the government for construction purposes. However, investigations have found no such evidence. Similarly, another name which was prominent in the list was of Sakwiba Sikota, the owner of Central Chambers. His firm is also named in the list, accused of laundering money in millions. He is further infamous for his long-term associated with the Ventriglias, a notorious family in Zambia known for their unethical and illegal activities. Their infamous takeover of the Zambezi Portland Cement by using goons is known to everyone. The factory legally belongs to Dr. Rajan Mahtani, a noted industrialist and businessman. It is also a known fact that the case of Portland Cement Zambia is near closure and Dr. Mahtani is expected to win this case.

This clearly indicates that majority of the individuals named in the money laundering list are already involved in some form of illegal or unethical practice. Therefore, it is high time for the government of Zambia to take strict action and re-visit their policies and law that governs such activities.

African Forum Press Secretary Writes to Dr. Rajan Mahtani, Shares his Contribution Story

African Summit is a regular industry event in Zambia wherein top personalities from various fields join together for discussions, debates on the burning issues that are currently gripping the nation and evaluate most appropriate pathways considering the economic, social and political strengths and weakness of the nation. The summit has been extremely successful in bringing high profile personalities in one place, providing a platform for successful generation of ideas and creativity. This platform has also been successful for budding entrepreneurs who get to know and meet the industry giants and gain valuable experience from them. The 2017 African summit was held recently and was a successful event. It was attended by many successful industrialists and businessmen.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani was also one of the attendees. He is a noted businessman, philanthropist and charity worker in Zambia. Dr. Mahtani has established a name for himself with his successful businesses as well as his immense contributions to the society. After the 2017 event was completed the Chief Press Secretary of ‘Prison Fellowship International’ thanked Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a press release. As per the press release, Dr. Rajan Mahtani had funded for the event which ultimately resulted in its success. Most other businessmen or companies would have made their contributions public, with the objective of gaining positive reputation and recognition. However, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has always kept his charity works and philanthropic activities out of limelight. He was further praised for his active participation in the event and helping young entrepreneurs with his business wisdom and knowledge. The press release was signed by the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the PFI himself, thanking Dr. Rajan Mahtani for his contributions.

Rajan Mahtani

Despite of the continued conspiracies against him, Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani has continued to work for the development and growth of the nation. His contributions are not only limited to businesses but also working towards the welfare of the citizens of Zambia.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani & his team Happy with the New Court Announcement

The Portland Cement Zambia case is no doubt one of the most talked about corporate cases in recent times. The case is between Dr. Rajan Mahtani and the Ventriglias. While Dr. Rajan Mahtani is a noted businessman, philanthropist and charity worker; the Ventriglias are infamous for their unethical practices such as using bribes or force to get what they want. This is exactly what they did in case of Portland Cement Zambia. Knowing that they do not stand any chance of taking over the factory in legal terms, they used goons to take control over the factory from Dr. Rajan Mahtani. Later when a case was launched by Dr. Mahtani for this illegal takeover, they casually defended themselves by saying that Dr. Rajan Mahtani did not pay for the shares he owns at the factory.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani

During the course of the court proceedings, Dr. Mahtani and his lawyers have submitted numerous documents and evidences that sufficiently prove his legal ownership over the factory. Some of these are signed shareholders agreement, financial exhibits which clearly shows his investment in the shares as well as in the factory worth more than USD 8 million as well as numerous testimonials from important members of the factory. Another important document which Dr. Mahtani shared is the audit report conducted by an independent auditor at the factory. The audit report clearly states that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the legal owner of the factory which was established as joint venture. He is the sole joint venture partner and the rest of the members are just shareowners. The Ventriglias, on the other hand, have not shared any strong evidence to prove their claim.

The judge handling this case has announced that case hearing is closed and both teams have been asked to submit their evidences in written and oral format. Post evaluation of these evidences, final judgment will be announced soon.