Portland Cement Zambia case has become a notorious corporate case in Zambia. The factory belonged to Dr. Rajan Mahtani, an honest and ethical businessman in Zambia with more than thirty years of successful business experience. The factory was then unethically and illegally taken over from him, after which he launched a case at the Lusaka High Court. For the past ten years, Dr. Rajan Mahtani is fighting the case at the Lusaka High Court with the hope of winning the case and reviving his establishment which is on the brink of collapse.
However, this opportunity never came as the final decision given by the judge went against his claim. This was a shocking moment as during the ten years of case proceedings, Dr. Mahtani has presented numerous evidences and testimonials which were sufficient enough to prove his legal rights over the factory. Some of these documents included signed shareholder’s agreement, financial exhibits which clearly showcased investment worth of USD 12 million for the development and growth of the factory as well as independent audit report conducted by an independent auditor. In this independent audit report, it was clearly stated that the factory was established as a joint venture and Dr. Rajan Mahtani was the sole joint venture partner of the factory. Even the judge handling the case made a positive announcement few months before the final decision. In this announcement, the case hearing was closed and both parties were asked to submit their evidences in written and oral format. It was a critical phase for Dr. Rajan Mahtani as he had all the relevant evidences which the other contestants did not have. As such, the popular opinion suggested an easy win for Dr. Rajan Mahtani.
However, the final decision was given against the claims of Dr. Rajan Mahtani. As such, Dr. Mahtani took immediate steps and has now approached the ‘Higher Court of Appeal’.