Court Of Appeal Decision On Portland Cement Remains Intact, Supreme Court Gives Verdict

The Zambezi Portland Cement factory in Zambia might be the only manufacturing entity in Zambia who has been taken to almost all levels of Courts in Zambia. It seems like fate wanted the cement-manufacturing factory to reach the highest-level legal system of Zambia so that its ownership is final and permanent. Numerous parties have been illegally and unethically trying to takeover the Portland Cement Zambia factory for decades. One of the most significant of these arch-rivals have been the Ventriglia family. Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments received majority shareholding and legal ownership of Portland Cement Zambia factory in the year 2007. This ownership was received via an original shareholders agreement signed and accepted by all critical parties. However, the Ventriglia family questioned the legality of the instrument as soon as Finsbury Investments started acquiring leans, funds and projects for the Portland Cement factory’s expansion. It can be seen here that the objective behind their challenge was to devoid the owners of the sole proprietorship of the Portland Cement and taking over the benefits of the factory’s success and expansion. When questioning the shareholding instrument’s legality was not enough, the Ventriglia family decided to illegally takeover the factory with the help of goons. As a result, Dr. Rajan Mahtani was left with no choice but to approach the Lusaka High Court with their complaint. However, the Ventriglia family was able to penetrate even the justice system and this resulted in Lusaka High Court giving an unfair judgement announcing Ventriglias as the only shareholders of the Portland Cement Zambia.

After the higher Court of Appeal successfully reversed the decision from the Lusaka High Court and announced Dr. Rajan Mahtani as the majority shareholder and legal owner of the factory, the Ventriglia family once again challenged this decision at the Supreme Court. However, the bench at the Supreme Court found this appeal from the Ventriglia family to be invalid and rejected it outright.