After being silent for almost a month, the conspirators are once again back into business with a defamatory article on Dr. Rajan Mahtani. As per the latest publication of Zambia Reports, the author of the article, Evans Mulenga, claims that Dr. Mahtani has failed in an attempt to have ZPC (Zambezi Portland Cement) back into his custody. The article further claims that Justice F. Chishimba has rejected Dr. Rajan Mahtani’s claim to have the cement factory taken back from the hands of Ital Terrazzo Limited.

Any reader would first of all realize the fact that the title of the article is itself misleading. How can a person take back something which already belongs to a concerned entity. It has never been claimed or said that Dr. Mahtani is the owner of the Zambezi Portland Cement, rather it is Finsbury Investments who owns ZPC. In the second place, the official records with PACRA is an evident proof that Finsbury Investment holds 58% shares of the factory and as a result, is already holding the ownership of the factory. Ital Terrazzo Limited has been the minority shareholder of the factory with 42% share of the factory and will continue to hold the same. Under no context, can it be regarded that ITL is the actual owner of the factory and would be able to have complete ownership of the factory.

As far as the discussion of share transfer is concerned, it is evident from the High Court Judgement in 2012 that Dr. Rajan Mahtani had not forged any signatures to have the ownership of the factory. Rather, it was a mutual arrangement during the inception period and the same shall continue to prevail until both the parties make a mutual agreement to change the same. The whole arrangement is nothing except for a well-planned conspiracy by the Ventriglia family and Zambia Reports to defame Dr. Rajan Mahtani.

Over and over again, we have found that Rajan Mahtani is being dragged into conspiracy and the culprits are making a narrow escape after creating a havoc. May it be the false allegation of accusing Dr. Mahtani of funding political parties, or claiming that the Radisson Blu will soon be sold to someone else. Every time they had only one aspect in mind and that is defamation for Rajan Mahtani.

Internal sources have suggested that the defamation campaign is linked to the fight for Portland Cement Zambia. They have not only managed to draw the attention of the locals from the inhumane conditions of the factory, but have also tired their level best to show that Finsbury Investments had previously obtained the control of the factory through forgery. Such cunning plans recently came to an end when the official documents made their way out for public display.

As per the official document, it was seen that the original profit sharing ratio was 58% and 42% for Finsbury Investments & Ital Terrazzo Limited. But the same has always been contested by the Ventriglia family, the owner of Ital Terrazzo Limited. Further analysis of the document states that both the parties were once good companions and financier Dr. Rajan Mahtani was requested by the Ventriglias to lend his support to this project. Nevertheless, once good profit started to flow in, their friendship was lost and a series of defamation began on the former Finance Bank Chairman. At the moment, Ventriglia family is using Zambia Reports and Sakwiba Sikota to defame Rajan Mahtani and get him out of the equation so that the whole factory can come under their control.

Zambia has been constantly trying to reach greater heights of success, but it is the actions of some people which is constantly serving as a hindrance in the route.

The Zambezi Portland Cement processing plant has been devastated by its minority shareholders, the Ventriglia family after they understood that it was not possible for them to win the industrial facility through defilement and pay off. Since the time that the manufacturing plant went under the administration of the Ventriglias, it has seen just pulverization and consistent mishandle of force.

The principal look at abuse was seen when the operating bank account of the Zambezi Portland Cement was moved from Zambia to a foreign location and all the cash continued streaming into that bank account without going to anybody’s notice. The period also noticed a point where labourers were removed from the factory, because it was expensive for the Ventriglias to bear their salary in absence of following good business ethics.

As the money and assets of Zambezi Portland Cement was draining quick, the Ventriglias then began to navigate the current assets of the processing plant and think of an arrangement to frame sham organizations. With the guide of these spurious organizations, the trucks and land of the ZPC were transferred to another organization. With such sly personality, the Ventriglias have just made a fool of the Zambian public and the Government. Dr. Rajan Mahtani, the administrator of MCG (Mahtani Group of Companies) has been the main resistance in the way of the guilty parties as his affection for his country supersedes everything else. The most saddening part is that the Government of Zambia has done nothing to save the enthusiasm of local people and has remained as an observer. With still time left to make some move, there is not really any vitality among officers to stop this chaos. All that they do is sit tight for the occasions to happen and after that they would execute the formal undertakings.

In the past few months, Zambia Reports has been constantly publishing articles where it being said over and again that Dr. Rajan Mahtani fears his arrest and has taken shelter in some other country. The articles presented a very sad view of how some of the Zambian media houses have degraded themselves to such low levels that the only motivation for them is money. At the present, it is not Dr. Mahtani who is trying to flee Zambia or trying to hide something, it is the masters of the ZR, the Ventriglias who are planning to flee from Zambia after having looted the factory.

The Portland Cement Zambia has now been turned into a non-operating unit and most of the assets of the factory, including the premise and trucks have been transferred to other companies in the presence of the Ventriglias. The bank accounts were already depleted and have been shifted to some other country and since April 2015, not even a single penny has been transferred to the accounts which were previously being operated in Zambia.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani has never ran away from a situation where his presence was required. He has always made himself available in front of the police, Court or any legal authority. However, it is the Ventriglia family who has always failed to present themselves and talk about the affairs in Zambia in open. Internal sources suggest that the Italian Mafias are trying to wrap up everything and run away to their native land; leaving behind the Portland Cement Zambia and its misery. Though the Lusaka High Court has strongly condemned this act, the Government has remained silent and has been a mere witness. True leaders never flee, nor do they hide behind others. Only people who are shallow from within hesitate to come out in open and confront their thoughts.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani, the Chairman of MCG (Mahtani Group of Companies), had never thought that his hard work and efforts would be washed away in such a manner. Within a matter of 10 months, the Ventriglia family has ensured that the Zambezi Portland Cement Factory is reduced into a non-operating place and the existing workers are removed from the factory. Today, ZPC has nothing to lose, because it has nothing left in it!

All the properties and assets of the factory has now been either sold off or been transferred to bogus companies, who are indirectly operated by the Ventriglias themselves. Workers have lost their jobs and stand as jobless at the moment. Revenues which were generated from April 2015 onward were constantly being transferred outside of Zambia.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani was one of the key people who wrote the success story of ZPC from his own hand. He had ensured that the workers as well as factory contributed towards the growth of Zambia and the nation could have a unit on which it can rely on. Sadly, the plan was uprooted when the Government allowed the Ventriglias to make a comeback and since then, the story has been a sad one. Instead of arresting the Italian Mafias, the officials arrested Dr. Rajan Mahtani on irrelevant ground. Later on, the judicial system clearly indicates that the arrest was unfortunate and should not have taken place. At present, Zambezi Portland Cement has been looted to a point where its recovery looks critical. The workforce of Ndola region has faced a severe downfall and has continued to be wasted ever since April 2015.

It is really sad to see that one of the finest factories of Zambia is now on the verge of shutting down. The credit for same largely goes to the Ventriglia family and some other officials, who preferred to be sold than love their own country.