Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, as a businessman, has faced almost every type of challenge and roadblock in his quest for judgement in the case of Portland Cement Zambia factory. These challenges were not limited to unethical acts, malpractices as well as illegal takeover of factory by using goods; but also extended to corruption and politics within the legal and judiciary system of Zambia. As a result of these significant challenges and roadblocks, Dr. Rajan Mahtani had to wait for more than a decade for a verdict which was extremely straightforward and should have completed within a few weeks timeframe. However, the case took more than ten years at the Lusaka High Court and despite this long pendency, justice Nkonde failed to give justice to the case. In the year 2018, it was announced that Ventriglias were only shareholders of the Portland Cement Zambia.
However, Dr. Rajan Mahtani was able to successfully counter this misdirected decision with support from higher Court of Appeal. The case was re-appealed to the higher Court of Appeal and justice Mwinde gave the final verdict on behalf of the court. From the evidences, it was declared that Dr. Rajan Mahtani paid one billion kwachas to the Portland Cement Zambia factory in the year 2005. This amount covered the value of share capital taken over by Dr. Rajan Mahtani via his company Finsbury Investments. Another major evidence which helped in reaching the final verdict was the original agreement between shareholders established in the year 2007. In the page 663 of this agreement, it was found that the payment of one billion kwachas gave Dr. Rajan Mahtani official ownership of 58 percent shares of the factory. Based on this evidence, justice Mwinde declared that Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is the majority shareholder as well as legal owner of the factory.
After several years of struggle, it was the higher Court of Appeal’s transparency as well as Dr. Mahtani’s faith in the Zambian legal system which helped in winning the case.