19860626 TZCA Dar es Salaam

iL-..------=-- ·---. i ot'. IN THE COUR'.L' OF APPEAL OF 'i'i,NZANIA A'l: MWANZA ~ L I , C.J.; MUS•rAFA, J,r1. -And KISANGA, J.A. ~: ( CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 73 OF 1985 • • • APPELLANT FRANCIS s/o ALFRED. VERSUS THE REPUBLIC .• • • • 0 (Appea1 from_~he convic .. ion of .. he High CourL of Tanzania at Mwanza) (Ka._i .. i, J.) da .. ~1. Lhe 30Lh day of July, 1985 in Criminal Sessions Case No. 33 of 1984 ----------- JUi)GEMENT OF ·.l,'HE COURT , I i I, NYALALI, C.J.: The events which gave rise .. o Lhis case began wii-!1 people· I ' I I Ii happily buying and drinking a local liquor knowp :as_rubisi in a I I , ,I I ),i 'I!, II I col,lnLrY home in Lugasha village, in Karagwe_D~si:.ricL a;id. eoded_ I I with Lragedy in which one person died, ~nd Lhe ··Appe11ar.1:, i:ogeLher . ... · I : ir, 1; ,: ...• wiLh one ~illiam s/o ChayQnka was arresLed and Gharged io Lhe Higb CourL aL B1,}koba for Lhe offence of murder-co~ .. rary to. seci-ion .. 196 of_ .. he Penal Coqe. The Appellan~ ~a~·, convic.1..ed and senLenced LO ~~ffer deai-h by hanging. The.o~her person chafged was ac;;qui,...ed. Toe Appe11an1;. gn his parL 11as_aggr_ievei;l by Lhe conyicLion and senLence, hence .. his appeal Lo·i-his Court-. His_ convicLion is based . .:5-~~e_ly on his re .. rac .. ed confession. From Lhe procee;!ings in ~his Cour+- and Lhe High CourJ:_+-~e following primary fac._s_are eiLher common ground.or ucdisp~i-ed Early aL nigh+- on Lhe 6t.h bei-ween _Lhe pari-ies LO Lhis case. • cl 2 Augus .. , 1985, '-he Appellan'- '-Oge'-her wi+-h P.W.6.(Francis 'Rubula_ngeyo) 1 . William s/o Chayonka and Rurego.Simeon were in 4-he house ot" P.W.1 · (Lusia Alfred) and P.W.2 (Felis+-a Alfred) in Lugasha Village •. There was some rubisi for sale. 'J.:he Appellant. is a bro+:her. of P.W.1 and a son of P.w.2. \ . ::, ... · Th~ said Rurego.Simeon l~ft. '-he place af'-er drinking· +-he l:fquor ···.:. · .. , for sgme'-ime. He wen1;: away wi+-h sgme money which resul+-ed ·in· bi.$.· depar+-ure being repor!-Rd by P.w.1 '-O P.W •• 2 qnd even'-ually to.+-he. App~llan'- by P.'.~. 2. Ac'-ing on 4-his repor+-,. 4-he appell,an .. wen4- out of. '-he house in search of Rurega Simeon, af+-er which +-!Je Appella_nt,_. re+-urned. +-he deadbody of '-he said Rurego Simeon w~s discove_red -by P.W.1 3 (Raphael Nyamb1,11a} oear P.W.3 's house io +-he same village. I+- is common ground +-ha4- '-he deceased.had.a s+-ab wound in __ +-he abdomen. The giscove~y was report.ed '-o +-he 4-en cell leader (P~W.7) and '"...' even+-ually +-o +-he village Chairman. The following morning; •!ny people.gat.hered a+- ~he ho~e of +-he vil,lage Chairman io connec'-iQn.wi+-h 1;:he affair and ques4-ions began +-o be asked abou'- 1;:he iden'-i+-y of +-h~ person or persons responsible for killing '-he deceased~ Ini+-ially P.W.6 and one Richard Rubelengeyo, ~hQ were among +-he people who had beeri·buying and drink:l,ng rub.lsi a+- +-he home of P.W.1 ~nd P.W.? were.su/;?p·ec-1:'ed and arres+-ed by +-he village people's mili+-ia and +-aken +-Q the yillage ~hairma_n's home. The Appellant., who.was one of +-he mili4-ia, +-Ook par+- in apprehending +-hese early suspec+-s. • •••poo••/3 • 1- i ' j I I 3 • _Later P.w. 5 (Marliciali Karanga+-e), ._fie· '!!ard _Secre.+-.~ry came 1--0 +-he village Chairman's hgmc and began ._o make inq~iries. One William <_;:hayonk2s who.was !a,.er join,.ly charged •wi+-h the Appellan+- bu .. _acg~ .. 1--ed, +-Ook the Ward Secre'-ary a~ide and informe<;l him <-ha+- +-he Appellan'- was a prime _suspec+- sinc_e he. app~ren .. ly had ;'!Uspicious bruis~s on his face ang hands •.• Ac-i-,ing -: on +-his tnfo.g.ia .. ion and observa'-ion, P.W!S arre~+-ed and +ie~i_ ~h~ ~ ·.. · Appellant wi+-h ropes and proceeded .. Q in'--erroga+-e.him. : A~·- fii:'s+- >fw .' · Appel;i_an+- denied any inyolvement in +-he dea+-h Qf +-p_e'~dec~ased l_;_i~+-- ... \ . . . . 0: be la+-er conf~ssed 1--0 s'"abbing the deceased wi+-h.a )\;nife assisted by - '£. +-he said W.Uli<lm <_;:hayonka who s<-~uck deceased wi+-h ,(· stick. I+- 'lo..... . is undispu .. ed <-ha+- a knife and s'-ick were discovered ~. .• a+ : +-he scene ~ .. of crime. _Even+-ually the Police were informed, +-hey a sketch.plan of +-he scene of crime. _A M~ical fssistant also came 1--0 the scene and conduc+-ed q pQstmor+.em ·examination of +-he body or +-he deceased. He· found +-ha+- +-he body had·a s+-ab· wo~nd 'Ill . '. 4 in +-he abdomen and had t,rutses all gver._ In hi:;\opinio~, "~he . ··,. c;}eceased dieg of wound +-ha'- pene+-ra'--ed +-he sple·e.i and. perfora+-ed .., . ·, ._,_ ...... . ···. From +-he sal!)e pq,ceedi9gs, +-h~ prill)ary an1 -~econdary f2c+-_s +-h +- are in dispu+-e be+-ween.+-he par+-ies.+-o +-bis· case 2 . . ~pQear 1--0 be ... . - ·. ~ . . ~·· '!?i+-bil) a narrow compa;'is.of +-he case. I+- is +-he prosecu+-i:or:i ·,:-,ise. +-ha+- +-he decP.ased lefi. +-he home of P.w.1 and_P.W.:? ei+-her.wi+-hou+- paying for +-he liquor he had purchased or af~er s+-ealing the money which was_+-he proceeds of.+-he sale of.+-he liquQr. The prosecution con+-ends +-ha+- when +-he Appe11an+- wen+- ou+- in search • • ••••••• / 4. 'I J 4 of +-J:!e deceas'S'd, he c;:augh'- up wi.i..h_him, aP-acked_him and .. even'-ually fa'-ally s'-abbed him in '-he abdomen wi+-h a knife. The De:f~nce ca§e is_ -1oha'- '-he Appellag+- :failed to find the d~ceased._ I'- is par'- of '-he qefcnce case >-ha'- be confessed_+-o .. ': S'-abbing '-he ~eceased only af'-er being giv~n cl 4-horough beaf-i.ng and in order .i..o save himself from fur+-her '-Or+-ure. ., . There c.re gnly -1owo main :;.ssues of fac+- for_cons:!,,dera-1-ion ··- and decision in +-his case. Th~ first one is whe+-her -1-he Appe112°P-I- r"~. confession w~.s volun'-ary or_no>-. The learn~d_trial Judge, Ka+-i+-1, J. specifically considered '-his issue and s+-a>-ed, "I did above make a figding +-ha+- +-his_amgun+:ed to . / a conf~s§ion _by ~he f:!,,rs+- acc1,1sed, and on +-he_.evidence,. I have found an unqoub'-ed ab§ience of +-ori-ure -~·nd or· · violen+- '-rea .. men'- of +-he firs'- accused, by ei,_1-her P.w.·5 or any m~mbers of 1-he peasan,.ry p.:blic befo.-e whom he -was_ and as such I have no problem in concluding and making a 11 finding +-ha+- +-he same confession, was volun+-arily made • -t-ri 1 Judge,. He submi'-'-ed +-ha•- +-he_s-urraunding a+-mosphe,i:-e ca1Jsed 2 by the pre§ence of many members of_ +-h!;! People's Militia and +-h~. fac+- i-oa+- '-h~_Appellan+- was pers:!,,s'-en~ly in+-erroga,-ed by P.W 1 5 while '-ied_w:i,1-h ropesl amoun+-ed +-o in>-Ql~rable_pr~s§ure~ With due res9ec+- ··O Mr. f?u'-aIJ)balal we do no+- +-hink .. ha+- +-bese c;:ircums'-ances amoun'-ed +-o in'-oleragle pressure upon +-be Appellan-1- +-0 make_a confession. He was_no+-_'-h~ gnly person in +-hose circyms'-ances. I+-_is_undispu>-ed ~ha'-_+-he o+-b~r persoo who was j oin'-ly charqed wi+-h .. he 1ppellan-:- bu1- acgui'-+-ed, tha+ is, Williar.. Chayonka, was also under +-he same circums+-ances bu+- he denied "••o,••••/So • __ ___, . 5 I. confession was volun'-arily made. The second major issue of fac-1,. is whe'-h~r i-he confession is t-rue. The __ L§!arned -1,.rial Judge considered i-his issue and was t-he confession. Firstly, +-he <'.!ppe11 9 n'-_had a_mo'-ive t-o a+-'-_ack .. ,~8e deceased and he admi,.':edly wen,. ogi- '-ha,. nigbt- in search_·of.',.-1:-tie·· dece9sed. Sec;;oncly 1 '-he Appellan'- was seen i-o_have susp':i.c;ious , . .. scratches on :-he face and _hand§ and he f 9 iled i-o explain .. +-.hem.; ·· and '-hirdly, +-h~ Appellani- men+-ion~d_a S'-ick and knife and such '!{eapons were 1?C+-ually discovered a'- '-he sce[le of crime·,._ ·:Bearing_ ... it t-hese c;:irc;:Ul!l:c;'-ances in IJ1ind, we find, like_+-h~ Learned \-rial The Other impoi;-,.an'- is§ue fgr c<;:>nsi:lera'-iQn and dq::•is;j,on in relying 9n '-he ~•~rac'-ed and uncorrobora'-ed confession_in convi <;;'--i-ng· '-·he-Appe11an'-. 0 The Le 2 rned -1,.rial_J1,_1dge coi;-.reci-ly. direc'-ed himself on '-he appropria'-e law as ~'-a'-ed int-he c;ase of TUWAMOI vs. UGANDA ( 1977), E.A. p.89 anc;! he proc;eec;!ec;! to convict- t-he Appellan+- af';er being fully sa'-isfied !-hat- !-he confession canno'- be any,.hing bu'- t-rue. • • • • • u/6 • • ., 6 correcL in so doing. We 1ismiss/,he Appeal in i>s'en,ite>y. DATED a-1; MWANZA : h i s ? f ~ of June, 1986. F. L. NYALALI CHIEF JUSTICE A. MUS•i-AFA '· 'I JUSTICE OF APPEAL R. H. KISANGA JUS·rICE OF APPEAL ,. ' I certify LhaL Lhis is a Lrue copy of Lhe _original·. DEPUTY ~EGISrRAR • •