One of the greatest tests of patience and perseverance for Dr. Rajan Mahtani has been due to the case of Portland Cement Zambia. This case has been between Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani and the Ventriglias and it can be said that both belong to the extreme end of the spectrum. While Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is known for his charitable, philanthropic, transparent and honest business practices, same cannot be said for the Ventriglia family and their numerous controversial acts over the years. After getting no justice from the Lusaka High Court, the Court of Appeal was approached. The quick and transparent judgement of the Court of Appeal definitely restored the faith in the Zambian judiciary system.
The judge at the Court of Appeal, justice Mwinde, provided significant details while announcing the final results for the case. The judge confirmed that the original Shareholders’ Agreement which was established in 26th February 2007 was carefully evaluated. After evaluation, it was found that the record has an established report which says 58 percent shares of Portland Cement have been declared to the Appellant or the Finsbury Investments limited making the company primary shareholder of the Portland Cement Zambia factory. Another major detail which was shared by the Court of Appeal justice was the confirmation of 42 percent shareholding by Ital Terrazzo Limited, a company which the Ventriglias own. This shareholding pattern aligning with the original record clearly established the fact that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of Portland Cement.
The Court of Appeal judge also shared significant details which were ignored by the previous court. In this detail, it was observed that Finsbury Investments paid USD 250,000 which is equivalent to 1 billion K during the original shareholding agreement for covering the entire share capital value associated with ZPC limited. This important detail further establishes Dr. Rajan Mahtani’s legal ownership.