Tag Archives: Zambia

Zambian President Decides To Work On Death Penalty Abolishment

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, noted businessman and philanthropist in Zambia, has extended his full support towards Zambian President’s decision. Recently, President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema made a bold announcement that he is planning to abolish the death penalty row. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, who is the founder and current chairman of the Prison Fellowship Zambia, has wholeheartedly supported this decision.
According to Dr. Rajan Mahtani, more than 350 prisoners, including both men and women, are currently under the death penalty row. Being on this death penalty row is a significant punishment for the convicts as they expect execution at any day. While working with Prison Fellowship Zambia, Dr. Rajan Mahtani has observed that several inmates transformed themselves by dedicating entirely to the services of god and becoming law abiding citizens. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani further stated that majority of the past Presidents have avoided death penalty row by using certain mercy perogatives. The last time death penalty was ordered was in the year 1997. Also, several organizations such as Correctional services and Parole Board have started to work with the Zambian Government towards planned release of the Zambian Prisoners after transforming this. This comes after several reports of inhumane and degrading living conditions across Zambian Prisons. Even former vice-presidents have considered the condition across Zambian prisons as hell and impossible to survive.
The consensus towards abolishing death penalty has grown significantly across the globe and across Africa. Even in Zambia, the voice is not new as many institutions and organizations have been working towards abolishing this cruel and inhumane practice. Even then, there was a need for involvement from the top government and this has now become a reality with the latest announcement made by the Zambian President. Dr. Rajan Mahtani also stated that there is a long road from announcing the intent to making it happen in a legal manner, which will require significant legal reforms. Dr. Mahtani’s firm will support the President in all manner possible.

Dr. Mahtani Announced The Winner Of Forbes ‘Best Of Africa’ Award

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, a noted businessman and philanthropist from Zambia, was selected for one of the top corporate and philanthropy awards in Zambia. This award is called as Forbes ‘Best of Africa’ award and is given to businessmen, visionaries, and leading lights in the field of philanthropy and leadership. The Forbes ‘Best of Africa’ award was a part of the Forbes-FIN (philanthropy and leadership) roundtable conference that was held virtually in Africa. The goal of the Forbes-FIN philanthropy and leadership roundtable conference was to create a platform wherein businessmen and visionaries discuss the significance of philanthropy to achieve long-term empowerment across the African nation. It was also a platform for generating funding and capital for several ongoing projects across Africa. Despite the ongoing pandemic and the event being held virtually, the event saw participation from personalities from different aspects of life. These included members from international business communities, spiritual leaders, political leaders, religious leaders, international investors as well as media partners. Dr. Rajan Mahtani was also invited to this event as an honorary speaker and spoke about the significance of leadership in healthcare, especially political leadership gave the current pandemic and the newfound respect for the healthcare sector and administrative services.

Similarly, the Forbes ‘Best of Africa’ awards was a huge success. The awards have high recognition as they not only come from Forbes which is one of the top business magazines across the globe but are also respected for the rigorous and transparent selection process. This selection process comprises months of verification processes and background checks followed by interviews and discussions with the participants to understand their views on philanthropy to achieve long-term empowerment of the Zambian nation. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani, apart from being invited as an honorary speaker, was also conferred with Forbes ‘Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year’ award 2021. Dr. Mahtani received this award for redefining the banking sector of Zambia, among others.

Dr. Mahtani Honoured With Forbes Awards For His Contributions

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is one of the most regarded and respected businessmen in Zambia. Dr. Mahtani was recently bestowed with one of the most prestigious awards across Africa. The annual Forbes-FIN (Foreign Investment Limited) roundtable conference was recently concluded via online media and broadcasted via YouTube medium. As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year’s conference was held via video conference wherein all participants attended the event from their respective locations. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani spoke about the significance of political leadership in healthcare for the growth and development of the sector. The roundtable conference was an astounding success with participants coming from different fields and areas including members of international business communities. Apart from the roundtable conference, the event was also noted for the annual Forbes ‘Best of Africa’ awards. The awards are presented by Forbes in partnership with FIN to visionaries, entrepreneurs and businesses with significant and long-term contributions in philanthropy and leadership for growth and development of the nation.

For his significant contributions towards the banking sector of Zambia and redefining it, Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani was presented with the Forbes ‘Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year’ 2021 award. Dr. Rajan Mahtani’s contributions in the business, economic and philanthropic areas has been significant. He is the founder and present Group Chairman of Mahtani Group which was established in the year 1981. The Mahtani Group quickly rose to become one of the top conglomerates across Zambia, expanding to various sectors like Insurance, Financial Services, Agriculture, Mining, Real Estate and Energy. Furthermore, the company also expanded to several nations such as South Africa, Malawi, Zambia and other parts across the globe. In a similar manner, Dr. Mahtani founded Finsbury Investments which is one of the top financial firms across Zambia. Apart from his business contributions, Dr. Rajan Mahtani is also known for his philanthropic and charitable contributions. Some of these contributions included Prison Fellowship Zambia and Stephen Malama award and scholarship for top law graduates in Zambia.

Dr. Mahtani Presented With Forbes ‘Best Of Africa’ Awards

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani was recently presented with one of the Forbes ‘Best of Africa’ awards. Dr. Mahtani is a noted businessman and philanthropist in Zambia. For almost four decades, Dr. Mahtani has been working towards establishing successful companies, creating employment and livelihood opportunities for less privileged sections of the societies as well as continuously working towards growth and development of the Zambian nation. These contributions from Dr. Rajan Mahtani were finally recognised when he was awarded with the Forbes ‘Outstanding Entrepreneur of the year’ award 2021. Dr. Rajan Mahtani’s contribution was instrumental in redefining the banking and financial sector of Zambia and as such, these contributions were recognised by Forbes.

The award ceremony was held during the annual FIN leadership and philanthropic roundtable conference. The Foreign Investment Network (FIN) conducts the annual roundtable conference inviting business leaders, visionaries and entrepreneurs from different fields including international business committee, opinion leaders, political leaders, policy makers, media partners, international investors and so on. The event was held online as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and saw participants joining the business conference from their respective locations. Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani was invited as one of the honorary speakers. During the business conference, Dr. Rajan Mahtani spoke about the significance of leadership in healthcare, specially political leadership for the growth and development of the healthcare sector.

Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is one of the most respected and honoured businessman in Zambia. Some of the most famous companies established by Dr. Rajan Mahtani are Mahtani Group of Companies and Finsbury Investments. The Mahtani Group was established in 1981 and now is a conglomerate with presence across several sectors such as mining, energy, agriculture, real estate, insurance and finance. In a similar manner, the philanthropic and charitable contributions of Dr. Rajan Mahtani are also significant. He is the owner and current chairman of the Prison Fellowship Zambia. Similarly, Dr. Rajan Mahtani established the Stephen Malama award for top law graduates in Zambia along with scholarship.

Claim By The Ventriglia Family Identified As Controversial At Supreme Court, Rejected

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After the unethical takeover of the Zambezi Portland Cement by the Ventriglia family, a case was registered at the Lusaka High Court with expectations of quick decision. However, Finsbury Investments had to ensure significant losses due to the unethical and misdirected decision from the Lusaka High Court which came after more than a decade of dragged case proceedings. The reappeal at the higher Court of Appeal by Finsbury Investments was a success as judge Mwinde on behalf of the higher Court of Appeal declared Dr. Rajan Mahtani as the majority shareholder and legal owner of the factory. However, the Ventriglia family once again decided to go against the law and despite the sound and ethical verdict from the higher Court of Appeal, decided to challenge it at the Supreme Court. This resulted in creation of a bench of three judges at the Supreme Court Zambia for evaluating the claim by the Ventriglia family. After evaluation, the judges found that the Ventriglias failed to comply with a critical aspect of the law which requires that any appeal against a previous court decision must be made within 14 days of the court decision itself. In this case, the decision from the Court of Appeal came on 31st January 2019 and this means the Ventriglia family was required to make their appeal within 14 days of the above court verdict. However, the Ventriglia family came up with their claim more than 16 months later which makes the Supreme Court judges extremely suspicious of the circumstances under which the claim was made. As a result, the SC judges gave their final verdict and confirmed that they are rejecting the appeal by the Ventriglia family as the case was outside of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the evidences surrounding the case were controversial for any further action. As such, Dr. Rajan Mahtani owned Finsbury Investments has further confirmed its position as the only majority shareholder and legal owner of the Zambezi Portland factory.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani To Retain Leadership Of Portland Cement, Claim By The Ventriglias Rejected

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Finsbury Investments is one of the many companies owned by Dr. Rajan Mahtani that have made a lasting impression within the Zambian corporate with its transparent and ethical business practices. Zambezi Portland Cement is a Portland concrete assembling production line which was set up in the year 2004 and from that point forward, went through significant changes in its sharing pattern. The major and identified shareholding change was the joint changes made to its shareholding design. Dr. Rajan Mahtani possessed Finsbury Investments was given 58 percent shares of the production line, making him the dominant part investor and legitimate proprietor of the processing plant. Then again, the Ventriglias possessed Ital Terrazzo Limited was given 48 percent shares. The progressions were basic for getting advances from PTA bank just as allotted monetary establishments with the goal that the plant’s development can be finished. After the lawfulness of the shareholding changes were set up with the partners’ register, the PTA delivered cash. In view of these, PACRA rolled out the powerful improvements.

Nonetheless, things took a troublesome turn when the Ventriglias began utilizing their political and lawful campaigning for assuming responsibility for the Zambezi Portland Cement. They had the option to effectively convince the Lusaka High Court judge to give control of the Zambezi Portland Cement to them as it were. Nonetheless, the subsequent claim made to the higher Court of Appeal effectively turned around this exploitative choice from the higher Court of Appeal as justice Mwinde reversed the decision of the Lusaka High Court judge and announced Dr. Mahtani as the legal owner of the factory.

Now the Ventriglias have again tried to disrupt the peaceful operations of Zambezi Portland by registering a claim at the Supreme Court Zambia challenging the decision of the higher Court of Appeal. However, the decision from the Supreme Court was not surprising as the judges rejected this appeal due to lack of legal requirements and lack of evidentiary support.

Judge Mwinde On Behalf Of Higher Court Of Appeal Announced Portland Cement Case Results

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani will forever remember the case of Portland Cement Zambia. It not only tested real patience from one of the most honest and transparent businessman in Zambia, but also exposed the real truth of Zambia’s legal system. Despite being on the ethical side, Dr. Rajan Mahtani faced several roadblocks and challenges to final victory. The most shocking aspect of this case is that the controversy came straight from the judicial system of Zambia. This one is related to the Portland Cement Zambia case, a case which spanned over a decade and two different judicial systems of Zambia. First it was the local high court, Lusaka HC where the case was initially registered by Dr. Rajan Mahtani. With high hopes, expectations included a speedy case proceeding and sharing of verdict based on available evidences and testimonials. However, the case took a surprise turn when case proceedings were dragged for a decade without giving any affirmative verdict.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani, who is known for his strong will and perseverance in the face of struggle, did not gave up on his fight and re-appealed. This time, the appeal was made at the higher judiciary system of Zambia, higher Court of Appeal. The judge at the higher Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde and after evaluating the submitted evidences, final decision was given on 31st January 2019. According to this decision, Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani had always made a payment of one billion kwachas via his company Finsbury Investments for covering the entire share capital value of Portland Cement Zambia factory. Furthermore, details from the original Shareholders’ Agreement also confirmed that Dr. Rajan Mahtani took over 58 percent shares of the factory with this amount. Based on the evidences, it is now cleared that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is indeed the actual owner and majority shareholder of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.

This decision from the higher Court of Appeal has been declared as final and finding.

Dr. Mahtani’s Next Challenge After Winning Portland Cement Case Is To Revive The Factory

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The path to winning the Portland Cement Zambia case was not easy. Dr. Rajan Mahtani worked for more than a decade for achieving the rightful ownership of the cement factory. Despite several attempts to get back ownership of the factory, Dr. Mahtani never received justice majorly due to the shortcomings and challenges of the Zambian legal and judiciary system. For instance, Dr. Rajan Mahtani possessed all evidences, facts and testimonials to prove his point and despite this, the judge at the Lusaka High Court failed to provide the right judgement for the businessman. The decision went for the Ventriglias and was totally controversial.

Not getting down by these controversial decisions, Dr. Rajan Mahtani rightly approached the higher Court of Appeal. The judgement at Court of Appeal was swift and transparent and was given after looking into all evidences and testimonials submitted. For instance, it was found that Dr. Mahtani paid one billion kwachas for getting majority shareholding by owning 58 percent Portland Cement shares. Furthermore, the evidences also confirmed that this shareholding pattern was accepted by all shareholders of the factory and it was also confirmed that Dr. Rajan Mahtani did not own any further payments associated with the factory. Based on all these evidences, it is now confirmed that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the factory.

Several other details were shared by the higher Court of Appeal judge which further exposed the wrongdoings of the previous judge and the inability of the Zambian justice system which is responsible for the challenges faced by honest and ethical businessmen like Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani. It was found that the process of electronically affixing signatures for business transactions was a common practice at the Zambezi Portland Cement. Being an acceptable practice, it was also found that Claudio Ventriglia, a critical member of the Ventriglias family, engaged in similar practice. As such, all forgery related allegations were found to be baseless and were discarded by the judge.

Dr. Rajan Mahtani Wins The Long-Standing Battle For Portland Cement At The Court Of Appeal

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After the announcement of the Court of Appeal regarding the Portland Cement Zambia case, it is established now that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the factory. While this decision came a bit late as Dr. Mahtani had to wait for more than a decade for this decision, the final decision from the Court of Appeal was clear, transparent and based on the evidences. According to this decision, Dr. Rajan Mahtani held 58 percent shares at the factory and was the majority shareholder. On the other hand, the Ventriglias held only 42 percent shares and were the minority shareholders without any legal ownership over the factory. Based on this decision, it was declared that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the factory.

To arrive at this decision, justice Mwinde from the Court of Appeal also declared the various evidences, testimonials and other documents which helped the court in arriving at the decision. One of the major evidences came from the original Shareholders’ Agreement which was established in the year 2007. According to this agreement, Dr. Rajan Mahtani had contributed a sum of USD 250,000 equivalent to 1 billion kwachas for taking over 58 percent shares of the Zambezi Portland Cement factory. This exchange has been officially written on the page number 663, Volume- Record of Appeal of the shareholders’ agreement. Furthermore, this written statement confirmed that Dr.

Rajan Mahtani was not liable to any other costs associated with the share transfer and the responsibility of the PTT (property transfer tax) went to the vendor in this case.

Furthermore, the judge from the Court of Appeal also discarded all forgery related allegations by confirming that the practice of electronically affixing signatures was common practice at Zambezi Portland Cement and since it is an accepted practice, the forgery case was made null and void.

Final Decision From The Court Of Appeal Announced, Dr. Mahtani Wins Big With Court Decision

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Dr. Rajan Lekhraj Mahtani is a noted businessman in Zambia. He is also one of the few remaining businessmen in Zambia still following a fully transparent and ethical pathway. He is also responsible for some of the most successful businesses in Zambia such as Mahtani Group of Companies, Finsbury Investments and Finance Bank Zambia. Despite these achievements, Dr. Rajan Mahtani is often preyed upon by unethical individuals and groups and has to face several roadblocks due to the ongoing corruption within the Zambian government. One of the prime examples is the Portland Cement Zambia case, which was launched by Dr. Rajan Mahtani more than a decade ago. Dr. Rajan Mahtani had registered the case at the Lusaka High Court claiming that his factory was illegally taken over from him. Despite several case proceedings and sharing of relevant evidences and testimonials, the case stretched for more than a decade. The judge who ultimately gave the final decision was justice Nkonde and this final decision came during the month of May, 2018. According to this decision, Ventriglias were given the majority shareholder of the Portland Cement Zambia case.

It was clear that this decision was misdirected and as a result, Dr. Rajan Mahtani took the right decision and approached the Court of Appeal. The judge at the Court of Appeal was justice Mwinde who gave the final judgement on 31st January 2019. According to this decision, Finsbury Investments owned by Dr. Rajan Mahtani holds 58 percent shares at the factory and is the majority shareholder of the factory. On the other hand, Ital Terrazzo Limited owned by the Ventriglias holds only 42 percent shares at the factory and is the minority shareholder without any legal ownership over the factory. The Court of Appeal judge also said that this decision aligned with the original shareholders agreement established in the year 2007. Based on this decision, it is clear that Dr. Rajan Mahtani is the actual owner of the Portland Cement Zambia factory.