Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:17:03 +0000
The two deported Italian directors of Zambezi Portland Cement (ZPC) have made an impassioned appeal to President Sata to allow them back into the country to prove their innocence and show the malice involved in their deportation.
“We hope that in the interest of justice and fairness, the President will intervene to facilitate a fair and equitable hearing,” ZPC technical director Claudio Ventriglia said.
It was most unfair they saidthat they were deported without an opportunity of a hearing following an ownership dispute of ZPC with finance bank chairman Rajan Mahtani.
“We were bundled and deported while matters were still in court and while we have been away Dr Mahtani has taken over our company ignoring courts that would have maintained the status quo while proceedings in court went on.
“It was unfair and certainly against due process of law for one party to a court action to be deported while the other was left to gain control,” Claudio said.
He further wondered why government and judiciary had failed to show keen interest in the matter more especially that court orders were being disobeyed.
The deported director expressed concern at how the law was being disregarded by some people and how the police who were expected to enforce the law are being used by the interested parties.
He said even after the issuance of the writ of possession by the high Court, it was surprising that the police command was so much involved in the case and warned bailiffs of consequences if the writ was served to management at the ZPC plant.
“It is not only the writ but there other court orders including the Supreme Court order that has been abrogated and we wonder why law enforcers can not see this. We call upon the people of Zambia, Non Governmental Organisations and Law Association of Zambia to closely follow what assault is being done to the judicial system of Zambia by people we thought would understand the law and defend it,” Claudio said.
Further investigations regarding claims that Zambezi Portland Cement was not paying its loans and government billions of Kwacha have revealed that the company had by last year finished paying some of its loans and the Zambian government the monies in question.
Information obtained by the Daily Nation shows that the company had actually paid the Zambian government a total of K17.253.298.567,39 as payments for VAT from June 2012 to November 2012 instead of K14.223.340.766.31 as earlier reported.
It had also paid K 5.659. 762.012,44 as PAYE from June 2012 to November 2012 dismissing assertions that the embattled company owed government huge sums of money.
It is further revealed that ZPC through its deported directors had by November last year cleared all its loan outstanding arrears with the PTA Bank Kenya an amount of $ 16.359.018,56.
The company’s loan as of today stands at $ 40.877.758, 78 instead of $ 40.727.758.78 in which a total of $8,500, 000, 00 was paid to Trust Merchant loan in full within May 2010 to November 2012.
And deported technical director for the company Claudio Ventriglia also confirmed that Leasing Finance was also cleared in full an amount of $ 5.102.168,33 and wondered where such assertions where coming from.
Mr Claudio said Dr Mahtani’s Finance Bank was paid a total USD10.916.571, 89 within May 2010 to November 2012 and has since denied allegations that the company was not servicing loans as claimed.
