nyabundege so mugeta vs republic 1982 tzhc 29 15 november 1982

IN THE HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA -H.T MWANZA APPELLATE JURISDICTION h igh c o u r t c r im in a l a ppea l no. 154 c f 1982 ( O r i g i n a l C r im i n a l Case No. 91 of I 98I o f t h e D i s t r i c t C ourt o f Bunda D i s t r i c t a t Bunda - B efore P . Z. K a g a l i , Esq<>, D i s t r i c t M a g i s t r a t e ) NYa BUNDe GE S /C MUGETA........................................................................................APPELLANT (O r ig in a l A ccused) versus THE REPUBLIC................................................................................................................... RESPONDENT (O rig in a l P rosecu tor) CilaRGEi S t o r e b r e a k i n g and s t e a l i n g c / s s 296( 1 ) and 2 65 o f t h e P e n a l Code J U D G M E N T MUNYERA. J. g The a p p e l l a n t and a n o t h e r p e r s o n R o b e r t B r u s h i were j o i n t l y c h a r g e d f o r s t o r e b r e a K i n g a n d s t e a l i n g M. C.H. m i l k . The a p p e l l a n t was a M e d i c a l A s s i s t a n t a t Bunda h e a l t h c e n t r e and h i s c o - a c c u s e d a watchman i t t h e same p l a c e . I t was s t a t e d t h a t d u r i n g t h e n i g h t o f 2 l / l 0 / 8 l t h e JI.C.H. S t o r e was b r o k e n i n t o and 20 bags o f m i l k were s t c l e n . The a p p e l l a n t and h i s c o - a c c u s e d w ere s u s p e c t e d . They were a r r e s t e d and c h a r g e d . I n h i s d e f e n c e th e a p p e l l a n t d e n i e d t h a t he bro k e t h e s t o r e * Hie c o - a c c u s o d a l s o d e n i e d t h e c h a r g e . The a p p e l l a n t was c o n v i c t e d and sentenced to 5 y e a r s . The o t h e r a c c u s e d was a c q u i t t e d . The a p p e l l a n t has b e e n r e p r e s e n t e d i n t h e a p p e a l by Mr. itugarabamu. The w h o le e v i d e n c e a d d u c e d a g a i n s t t h e a p p e l l a n t was c i r c u m s t a n c i a I t was s a i d t h a t b e c a u s e he was h o l d i n g t h e k e y s * f th e d c o r s o f t h e o f f i c e s o r rooms a d j a c e n t t o MCH s t o r e , he had o p e n e d t h o s e d c o r s and e n t e r e d and from t h e r e he c l i m b e d o v e r t h e w a l l anu. e n t e r e d t h e MCH s t o r e and t o o k o u t t h e m i l k . A s k e t c h p l a n was p r o d u c e d i n c o u r t and i n d i c a t e d t h a t t h e p r e m i s e s i n q u e s t i o n had 7 d o o r s e a c h w i t h a l o c k and k e y . These were marked ABCEFG and H. Two d o o r s B and H l e d i n t c t h e MCH o f f i c e and d o o r C o p e n e d i n t o t h e MCH s t o r e . I t was a d m i t t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t k e p t k e y s f o r d o o r s ABEF and G w h i l e t h e c o o r d i n a t o r o f t h e MCH, one Nancy xj e t e r ( p t f . 4 ) k e p t k e y s f o r d o o r s C and H. I t was u n d i s p u t e d t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n e t have t h e key f o r t h e m i l k s t o r e . I t was th e p r o s e c u t i o n * s c a s e t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t o p p e n e d t h e MCH o f f i c e and from t h e r e he c l i m b e d t h e d o o r i n t o t h e MCH s t o r e and t o o k o u t t h e m ilk t h r o u g h a window w h ich t h e y marked D. T h e r e f o r e t h e q u e s t i o n was th e p o s s e s s io n o f the k e y s . In t h i s c o n n e c t i o n tho d o c t o r i n c h a r g e , W aziri Juma (PW#3) s t a t e d among o t h e r t h i n g s : "••••-« d o o r s ABEF and G k e y s a r e k e p t by the 1 s t a c c u s e d ( a p p e l l a n t ) . D oo rs C and H k e y s a r e k e p t by t h e MCK C o o rd in a to r. I c a n n o t t e l l who i s h o l d i n g th e d u p l i c a t e k e y s , ” The a p p e l l a n t i n h i s e v i d e n c e s a i d he h e l d one key e a c h . The MCH C o o r d i n a t o r (PW«4) s a i d i n h i s e v i d e n c e s MI k ee p k e y s f o r d o o r C and H. The r e s t o f -t h e d o o r k eys a re k e p t w ith the 1 s t a c c u s e d . M He d i d n o t say who k e p t t h e d u p l i c a t e k e y s o f t h e s e d o o r s C and . a c c o r d i n g t o t h e e v i u e n c e o f th e d o c t o r i n c h a r g e th e a p p e l l a n t and t h e c o o r d i n a t o r e a c h h e l d one s e t o f k e y s o f t h e r e l e v a n t r o o m s. The e t h e r s e t was h e l d by unknown p e r s o n . I t was p o s s i b l e f o r t h a t unknown p e r s o n t o use th e o t h e r s e t o f th e keys to open t h e rorm s and s t e a l t h e m ilk * The t r i a l m a g i s t r a t e made a f i n d i n g t h a t th e a p p e l l a n t h e l d two k e y s f c r e a c h d o u r ABjiFG but t h i s was a g a i n s t th e e v i d e n c e o f th e d o c t o r i n c h a r g e who s a i d he d i d n o t know who h e l d t h e d u p l i c a t e s , m eaning t h a t th e a p p e l l a n t ’ s a s s e r t i o n t h a t he h e l d one key f o r e a ch d o o r was t r u e . I f i n d th a t the c i r c u m s t a n c ia l e v id e n ce l e f t o t h e r p o s s i b i l i t i e s so i t d id not p o in t i r r e s i s t i b l y to th e g u i l t o f the a p p e l l a n t . I a llo w the a p p e a l, q uash th e c o n v i c t i o n , s e t a s i d e t h e s e n t e n c e and o r d e r h is r e l e a s e . MWANZA 15/11/82 JUDGE.