Motisun boardroom wrangles take a new twist

Dar es Salaam. The boardroom wrangles of Motisun Group took a new twist yesterday after one of the shareholders, Mr Ramanlal Patel, disowned his own son Veer Ramanlal Patel who, early this year, replaced him as a director of the Group.

Motisun Group owns the White Sands Hotel and Resorts, the Seacliff Hotels and apartments, MM Steels and the producer of the Sayona beverage drinks, Kiboko paints and Kiboko plastics. The Group owns more than 15 companies and has interests in Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Uganda, according to its website.

In an advert published in various media outlets yesterday Ramanlal claimed his son Veer had conspired to take his position in the Group while he (Ramanlal) was undergoing medical examinations at the department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH).

He was later cleared off any mental issues, Ramanlal claims, but only to come out of the hospital to find out that he was no longer a member of the Board of Motisun.

In a quick reply, however, Motisun Group spokesperson Abubakar Mlawa said removing Ramanlal from the board was not a decision of a single individual, but a well thought out undertaking because of nearly ten years of his performance due to various reasons.

Mr Mlawa said for nearly ten years Mr Patel has had constant health issues which caused him to be out of the office most of the time. This prompted the Board of directors to select his only son to take over his father’s responsibility.

“The decision to take him out of the directorial chair was a long term process,” he added.

Mr Mlawa noted that Ramanlal will only be exempted from his directorial duties but will continue to be a shareholder of the company and he will continue to receive his dividends accordingly.

In the advert Ramanlal said he was informing the public that he would not be responsible for the Group’s suppliers, creditors and all others people doing business with the Group. “I would also like to inform the public that Veer Ramanlal Patel is no longer my son and should not be involved in any of my assets or my life,” the advert reads in part.

Mr Mlawa said, however, that Ramanlal will continue to be Veer’s father and parent, because parenthood cannot be annulled with a newspaper advert.

“He [Ramanlal] will always be his father and Veer will always be his son,” commended Mr Mlawa.

Motisun Group was founded by Subhash Patel in 1992.