Ventriglia family sues Mahtani, lawyers for defamation

BATTLES over the shareholding of Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) have deepened in the courts of law with the Ventriglia family now suing Rajan Mahtani’s Finsbury Investment and its lawyers for defamation.

Antonio Ventriglia and Manuela Ventriglia dragged Finsbury Investment Limited (a company owned by Mr Mahtani) and lawyers Robert Simeza and John Sangwa (trading as Simeza, Sangwa and Associates, a law firm) to the Lusaka High Court demanding compensation for libel.

They claimed that Finsbury Investment Limited and its lawyers defamed them when they wrote to the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) accusing it of being bribed by them (the Ventriglia’s) to protest their interest.

“Following a judgement from the court of appeal stating that ‘the register of members of ZPC shall accordingly be restored if any changes have been made, to show that the appellant (Finsbury Investment Limited) hold 58 percent of the shares of ZPC and Ital Terrazzo Limited holds 42 percent of the shares,’ Simeza Sangwa and Associates on April 1 2019 acting on instruction from Fensbury Investment wrote a letter to PACRA enclosing a ruling and an order embodying the judgment.

“On receipt, the CEO of PACRA responded highlighting the disparities between the ruling and an order and sought clarification from Simeza Sangwa and Associates.

“In response, Simeza Sangwa and Associates stated that; our clients have cause to believe that you have been bribed by Mr Antonio Ventriglia and Manuela Ventriglia to frustrate and diminish the value of the judgement of the court of appeal in favour of our clients.

“As a public institution, you are expected to act fairly and within the law.

The conclusions are based on the fact that you caused one of your officers to voluntarily testify in favour of the Ventriglias …” read part of the claim.

The two claimed that the letter in its natural and ordinary meaning meant that they were dishonest, unscrupulous, immoral and crooked.