The case of Portland Cement Zambia factory finally reached its final destination on 31st January 2019 when the Court of Appeal gave the final decision on the ownership of the factory. It was Dr. Rajan Mahtani who was proved to be the actual owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory as it was found that through his company Finsbury Investments, Dr. Mahtani owned 58 percent shares of the factory. Similarly, Ventriglias through their entity Ital Terrazzo Limited held just 42 percent shares at the factory. This makes the Ventriglias minority shareholders without any legal ownership and Dr. Rajan Mahtani the majority shareholder and actual owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.
Before the illegal takeover of the Portland Cement Zambia factory, it was known for its several achievements. The factory was known for installations of advanced machinery and providing its employees and workers with above-industry average salaries and wages. It was all under the leadership of Dr. Rajan Mahtani. However, this changed when the factory was unethically taken over from him. After this unethical takeover Dr. Rajan Mahtani approached the Lusaka High Court for justice but was denied. It took more than a decade for the judges at the Lusaka High Court to announce their final decision on the case. Despite this long time and the fact that Dr. Rajan Mahtani shared almost all evidences and testimonials to prove his legal ownership over the factory, justice was denied. The judge at the Lusaka High Court announced that Ventriglias were only shareholders of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.
From this illegal takeover which took place more than a decade ago, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has come a long way following the path of justice, patience and perseverance which finally paid off. While this is a huge win for Dr. Rajan Mahtani, the fate of the Portland Cement Zambia factory remains a question.