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" IN THE ·.HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA AT DODOMA_ AP.- 1 ELL;:,TE _JURISDICTION • CRIMINAL APPEAL NOo 186 OF 1977 (ORIGIN,1.L CRIMINAL ·CASE NOo 740 OF 1976 OF THE DIS'rRICT COURT OF DODOMi\) ABDALLAH s/o SAIDL e o • • o , a • o • ·o App..:?llant (Orig\nnl AccuseJ) versus THE HEPUBLICo 0000000000 o •o o o o o •. o o Rcspond2nt (Ori0inQl- Pros~cutor) Cho.rge: Obto.inin'] mon1:?y by f::ilse pretences. c/s 302 of the P<~nal Code o

JUDGMENT JONATHAN, Jo The apv.dlant Wc)S convict-~,J cf obt._,iniri'] _by false pret.:nces ,mJ s:!ntenc,-~d to 5 y;:,,rs ~mprisonment. Th: ,:1p 1_1,::?al is muiniy u'] ainst the cunviction o It w .1s thE-: prosecution c;-is;~ th-,t th··: .'.lPlJ-.!lL,nt on Au<Just 27, 1976 in th.a precincts of this buildincr sou0ht and • obtained shso 20 from PoW.l NURUALI MOLLO BHANJI by f,,ilsaly ·repn~srmting thcit he hml b:f.m s·~nt by P,,.W.;2 JUDGS M\IESIUMO to' g,:t such money frc,m him for buy in'] ch.1rcoo.l ~ Th,.. j'.'oi..; i.s ;:i.gr1'.l:ffit.!nt th:1t the Judq,~- h,1d not infact s,mt th-..: :ll)J-"-~11 ·mt cmd the trL1l turn ,d on wheth r th~ alle<Jed inciJunt, .?;v-,,;: occurre'.lo That it <.lid w:1s depos,--:d to by Po Wo 1 nlon;~ o f\1,:'dqr✓,lin(' t,., .l:~i1:n, . on the r•.::levo.nt cL:iy h.·; h.1d com,.! to court in ·conn.,ct.i.on 1:;ith•.·i! -civil case to which hr.:i · iJas a p,:i.iti~ :Tht·/n, / h, cl ,im,:d, h: w,;·s o.ccush~d by th,~ ap:,t:di:mt ·-;::iyinq.th'.\t· PoW~2: w.ifr:t.:r.~ to s. 0J him . in his. c:h.1mb•'.:rsc .Th; witn1,l·ss ·--a1ip :,J.rs to h.1.\r ..: n.,.<1ily b..i:1L,v,~d· it because buth. ti,, and th:=:i Ju<).,j. urL: m,-:!mb-';J'.:'S ,·,f i:h., Lions Club' Do,lo'm..1, of which th,! l.:i.ttcr vi;:is its ch ·1irm:i.n~ Tc),_,.:-;::·i r-, th'--iy h :1d,cl for his ch;,,mbxs~ B~forc, r,~1chin<J th-.:rn, h,-.\i,N-,r,.the uppull:mt inbm,1°b:J to PoWol th,1t

PoW.2 w ~s in-:~ lit-tl,J cli.Cficulty in that· he h.J.d no ch.ircou.l at home: and h·_ w :ni:.~tl .sh:;o 12 frc.m him to buy somr.!o Th! .. witn•.·ss upon h ·.J.rin(_J tris cl::1irns to h,:Wt.:! found it unnec-2ssary to s'.:.~ PoWo2• .. Ins_t~:ij, h~, h·.n ~"--d, to the app·.-11 int a ctfrr :ncy note/ of· shs. 20/= with th....: instruction th:.t. he should buy th: ch1rc9al ·ind n;;turn t~f'J .b,1l:mc;::0 of shso 8/:.:i., 1-k, Ji,J not :~~; turn such bal me.~ but th..lt did .:not .;".i'_c:lJ.y bo-~:;1-..'.r him. About u w ·ek 11ter, h,, · s .i.id, th,: api; L ..mt· c;ll-:1'.~ · -::t hj_s' house: Buying th.it th::: wifi;; of· Po~,J~ 2 whu W3S :i.w.3.y on S."'.:c,:tri. h-:1i nc charcoal h~fto He r~:pli d, howev,.,r, th ,.t h..:: h.:..: no mcn-.Jy .:i.t ull then and th .,t h2 shculd call un him ,.:i.<Jain .,n th.; n :xt du.yo He ,·lid but th,.i ~Ji tnt_~ss r,~pli.,,J h(: had not fcunJ th..: __ rnon1.c.y as y.et. Th::, .:i;_,p,:111nt went aw,ry .md Ji' not return •. Subs.,qut!ntly, h,l so.id, h .. h 1d or:c0.sion to call ·on PoWo2 in ·choJiib ,rs tc:.; f:'i.nc1 ·out if he h .1-J got th,! mon'=y <1nd to upologi s,~ for not b , {n0 · et!)Lt- to m.:2t his S(~Cun,'l reqUi..::Sto Th,1t surpr:Ls,~;.l P.W.2 .'(:'.!1i~, tlliriking-. th-~t th\: culprit miqht b,~ a court oif:Lci 11, :.:h .,y m2.:t2 v.- round · · of o.~l th~ offic~s int~: building t6 S28 if P.W.l would rc:cognis~~ that p

rsono He· W,lS 'hol;Jr_hr.~r not thi:rr~c J\ parade _of nll i:-.h,; Ch!ricc1l st:1ff ;m,i oth !r ,fft2'ii-Hlii1ts_ in 'this l?i.1il(1'ing w;:is mount~dc Tlwre, too, _PoW.l could hot recognis-..: ·'...b-, .culprit. Then, .1bout two m;-,nths ,,ft,r th.: r,"L:,v:.m·i.: d,tc, P .. W.3 ,1t tht~ polic.:! st -:it ion c.,nductcd un id,,ntific J.tion p :.c.::-.,.1,.: comprisin<J the app~lLmt, who h7.d since b •n arr2sb~d as :1 s1isp,.sct, und s,:,v,:n oth'.rso P.,W.,l upon bein0 ,c;,11 d th ,r2 pick ,(1. c~n th~ app2lL,.n': . as th:: culprit. J\s soun as h(c did th,1t, huwc,v,.::r, th.: ;1pp,:ll,:mt . ,. ap1j,!ars tu hc1ve protestc~d s 1ying th,1t the witnc.;ss h.:ld c1 gru<.10,2 ngc1inst him as h, h 1d been an nssessor in :.:: c<1.s~, in '.:hich u rQlative of P.,W.,l h:1d ultimutely _b :'m cunvict,'..:d :,n,:~ s,"';it tc; prison., Tht-: defence of i:lw ,1pp,•llant w::1s prulix hut it can briefly bfc st.:1h:d thus: He had com,, across PoW.,l ;:,,n:1 ~mvch,_r Indic1n uutsid·,: th•. c-:ourt room where h(i wc1s :1n :::.:~s~,,~sc•r o.nd wh,..:rc h•,: ov ,rh,, ad il tulk bc,tw ,en thtcm th ,t th ir r•-~l::tiv . • h::d b0 ...:n ccnvict•.'d il.nd imprisuned only . b",C,lU::;,c th.:y h:d l!(Y( 0iv,''.n a brib2 to th,-c m.v1istrab2 o He rebuked th<=m for such 1 :mgu ,:,(;-= zm,J that ']:1v<2 rise bi i1 quc1rrel b,:tWl'E..!D th(:m. L~1tc.:r: h.:, l :fto _on the way he Cumc across PoWol drivin1 o.

rrtotorv<.::hicl...: frcni tlL' ct,p'ositc direct.·.on" He SbJpp,.'d, p,irkt:c! ,7.nd c,,me out c•f ::h: · c.-:cr whcr2up0n, renewing the quc1rrel, he ;1ssa.ul t(·,d himo Tlv:.t 1 ,cl tc, i1 fi,:7ht in th,, coursi:'.! of which h , knock d o'.:f u tooth of :.::h . cur,1pl:·,in :nt. Some soldit.'!rs int,-;rvened ,mcl in th;-, end they :f,-.rg,·,v,, one.:; un(,th.r nnd dep;:i_rt"cl in th,,ir diff,,r,,nt w,1yso Th,: c,.,.rnpl..'.inn..nt, he s:!id, hnd faked up the ullega.tion.. on· account· of th,1t inc:i.J.:i:to It w~o.s his conb:,ntion th 1t b :twr:2n th,, r:-: lev rnt .l-:i.y :1n.J · th. t:i..tn,?. · of· his 0 arrest h~ h~l alw~s b :en in ~nd around th~ cou~t builJing but at no tim,~ hdd PoWol puinh:d him (;Uto He call,,,d 2 (Ji tness whos,' 3.ccount s)1Lk',<, U1.-.,t h,, h,1.J b, en escorting his wiFt, to th, r,1ilw:1y st2ti on °b) tr,,.v2l to Dar es Salaam w·,,.,,,;n h2 came .:1cross tht.2 app •11 :nt I:i,vinr, ov ·rp01·J0rcd an Indian lying on th•: circundo He howev~,r r,,fub:,·, th t ·ch.'"n" w.:1s uny v2'·1icL~ near th,-: sc,,ne und th·-:t th :r·-...: 1,_-, ·,.c. ::my suldi2rs. It w,-:isCi qu,·:stiun of cr·idibility if ch, 21.ll-:n,1ti0n of P.,Wol was trueo Th,, l,.,arnP-d resi(h.:nt m·1qL,trZ1h: in :.'. lung, .:ncJ well consi,Jered judgment seems to h.:w'c, b ... :n c1bsc1lub,ly cL_ .. x th :1t h2 w:1s none uth r +:h,m a truthful witn-.!:;s. In :::i1c; ,av·~nt, h8 believed

him,with, ..1~:eg 1rd to th,· deft~ncc~ • its · c,,s _nc0. w,:::s th-_i all,:<Jed quarrel., Si<Jnific,J.ntlv, however, i.:h.u 0.p,,,.:ll nt 1 Jocs' net .;tpf,ear to h.:ive intimi;ited such defcrnc:6 in his cr,,ss- ex?tmin,·ticn of th-e ccmplainent. ·;ith 1.· ,_; 1.r,: c._ -ch. compLiint he m:ide at the p,,r ;:ide it is to b nob~d th7.t -the v,:rs:i.on h-2 g :·:ve to PoW. 3 was, he h,:d t ,ken p::irt in court in ccnvictin.<_! 7. rel ,ti ve of P.,Wol while in evidP-nce h-:c s 1id the gruJr.rc n~L,L,d to ,, fight. To this mc1y be ,dded the two :i,.mport:mt conflicts, .::lr ·,-:,.dy nob:~d ·.,bove, between his e\ridence ind th2 :1ccount r,f D.Wo2o I think thc1t ,. ull considered th~' lower court w:.is c"mti th,(l tG find he h:.d obto.in··d the sum of shso 20/c fr~.,m PoWol by :f7.ls'-'ly :,::-_.opr2senting he h,1d b-,·,2n S'.:!nt by PaW.2. It h:.s hoi.Jev . ~r b.::,.:n su,-;,_,..::st:ad by the i:lppelLmt th.,t P .. W.. l might h-1ve mist,1hm him for th:, c1.1lprito He should however be bound by his own .idmission th -.:: lL: kn:2w him, :1nd be;; th-:.t as it may, tlv,re could h:Jve h-,en littlc1 possibility of P.,W.l mist::iking him after having m,ttwi,ceo i\.ccorc1in0ly, the 0.ppeul ,YJuinst conviction is dismissedo The sentence would however ::ipp-:·,.r ::";,c2ssivc, considE::ring the smallness of the amount sWindledo I note, huwcv~r, the . pro::;f•cution produc id .·.1

terrifying record ,:,f p.L.:v2.c:us convictionso 0 With the exceptj_on of the previous conv:i.ctiun lis·c -=~'- 1.7.st, th·.: .:1ppelLmt denied the entire record. Th~ Le ,_rn:::d tri ,1 m,.:,Jistr~1te clid not· ho1rwv,::r find· ·i_:h,~re w 1s n,.!ed to prove th:, j_);;·c:vious c'-'nviction,:; 0 For, :is ht! put it, "none of them ·resembles th_e pr.:sc:;,t ch crge"~ He conveys th,i impression th ,t, 1_ pr·:•vj_ous cunvict:.on is r<:!lev:mt qnly if i t is i1 CL;nviction of c1 simiL1r off-:nc'.: i'.S tl1·:i: :fer which sr:,ntence is beinri C'->nsid,Tedo :!'his intcirp.r,__;i:: ·.t~:..c,n, v,ith r8sp,:::ct, is unduly restrictive o For ,.1 previous conviction -.: : ;~_! r-=L.::vo.nt •• /3 3 it m>ed not bt"" th 1t of u similar offence ,:md it is sufficient if it is of an offence kindred to th.1.t for which s,:,.nt,:nce is is und12r consideration. In thE~ pres(::nt co.se.c;, the previous record of 13 convictions includes, amon<J oth<'1rs, convictions of house- br~aking, ste;:ilinq .:nd receiving. They <.1re offc.:.nccs of th-2 s-:tme chciracb"r as the pr,~s·- nt offence of obt;1ining in th-._t they have 0 n common denominator in th,i fr;1udulE'nt q:<:quisition 7 property. They should accordingly h,we bt•i:m found to b,.! n:lev::mto I wuuld in c1ny ce1se think th.it 1hethE,r or not tht! alh~rJed prcviuus convictions were of kindred off•,!nces, th::') m,)r,~ fact c_;f th,~re: havinCJ

been previous convictions would h:1ve b;:::c..;n o. ft:.ctor to tt1ke into account cis reflecting th,-, ch.:,r-1cb,,r ~inc: oniQ cedents of thr,, appe2ll :.mt, ,md o.l though previous convictions c,f non-kindred offenct,s may not count a<J.1inst <1 convicb-:;d o.·-::cu::,-"d to the s ,me degree ns previous c,mvict ons of simil3r or kind~ad offences, thf,y should norma.lly be bornf, in mind, however mininclly, in arri vinq at sc::nt--:nce a I think, th-:refor,c, th -:t d,-: l · ::'.rnzc,d trii1l mn.rristr.-ite should h,we requir-:--]d thc-c prosecution tc prc,ve the pr~vious convictions. The: app~llant, c1s alr,~ady nob.:d, dicl howe:Vc.!r .:1dmit on"' previous o;nvictJ_on in th::it, on April 9, 1977 h,:: w::s cunvicb::d of stealing by agent, ,m off,mce cc:.mmitb::~d on J2nu,J.ry 27, 19770 That WilS c,mviction of i1 kindred offence, but i t do-:" s not s.~cm to me th :t, th ,t Wu.s n!ally a pn:vious convictiono l\.S Wi1S hc:!ld by this court in R. Vo MUSA S/0 US,\1cl,".LE (1962) EeAo 499, iJ. pn~vious c,mvict::_on is not prop,,rly sv c:111, :d unluss th,:.2 o:c:::':_:DC(;; for which 0 ser1h:nce is bt;inq consid,,red w .1s committed subs,Jqu·:.•ntly to the first conviction. Th,:1t is to say, th2 d;1te of ·i.:11.. previous c,.,nviction" must b: prior to the dilte c,f the: commission of th,,, 0 subs,,qu m t offence. 0 Hf,re, as ,1lrP ady nob~d, ·'.:h .• firs i:: conviction w:1s

n,turn,-d on J,-mu:1ry 27. The off,-:nce now un-1< r cunsiclerntion 0 was howev~r not committed subsequently to such J~te but previously to it, incL,ed pr,,viously to thE', d3te of the off,2r~cE,s grounding the first ccnvictiuno For the purpose of sentence, tl1,:_1.·2fc,re, th.c: so-call,~d prt.!Vious c•mviction admitted by th2 c1.pp2lJ.-·nt would h.::1ve to he disreg1rded. In the result, thw. .J.ppellu.nt in this iJ.P:J,c,.~_1 is considered to be n first offender. His act was undoubtedly calcu- lated to reflect extremely unfc1vour~1bly on P.W.2 'Jl1(l the~ hirJh public offic2 he holds, but in my judgment th.~ circumstcnc2s did not oth-,rwise justify the imposition of 5 y , 1.rs, :md c1s I think .J. st:-,ntc.!nce of 2 yc:3rs would hcive bci"~n adequuh: punishn:,nt th-:!re is substituted such sent~ncea The ;:ippe al .::icJ ainst conviction is dismiss,.:c.l but th :-.t a<_Ju.inst the SE!ntence is allowed so -~s tu r•c~Juc<...: i·c to 2 y-:,1.rs. It shculd howev,c!r be served consecutively with sd1 c,:ncc in er. Cus(~ No. 72/77, the uppeal from which h,1s :1L~-::,,:,.c1y b en dismiss.._,:j in p3.rt. {x/AA-,IJ 1\ PoMo JONATHAN

JUDGE