19770722 TZHC Mwanza 1

. :·,. IPPITLL~TZ JUTIISDICTION ... OHI'1E'M., GI-:L1F'.'L C·'.S:'i! NO. 247 CF 1976 CHJ.CH:·. IGOTI ••.• ~ .. ·•••b·••••·•·•·• .. •·••·•••··········•·••·· J:PPELLANT ··~ ·. · (Ori~inal tcc~s2a)· -versus .TH:a' IlEPU J:iLI C ••••·•••••••~~~••·•••·~••••••~•••••••• R~SPONDZNT. · · (Original Prosecutor) CHJ,RG,E: Stcoling fr 1.1m the parson- d an-:,the.r c/s 269 (a) oi .the Fannl Code. JUDGEAE'N.T: LU0IKII~IR!, 1 ,J. :- Oh 20 J;ugust, ·197£/ 1 t,Tngai,::~wa Jiatare lost a wallet while clc1m":lerin 6 int::- A '-lus air·TEi"f'i;ne. It hdd c;;sh shs. 1,485/=, photogrc:rrhs, a. drivin,j licGEce .<::n..:i -:1 T;.inu Card. On 6 ::ugust, 1976, thsre ,·rer•:i :to ,_,e elections for ,: T:::nu Chairmnn for Nvc1kisya Villci:-•e in •for,.;i,m-e D-i¼t'.i:'ict. The a"pellant turned up to vote and produced a T~nu Card No. 952649 ,_,ee.rin,c: ths n1;;rnP. of l-C:''2.iGwai Iatarere. Two t-Je.2ks e:::rl ier he hed regi- stersd as a v0t:2r i..,;'! tenr'.erin,.~ his own c:1 rc1 • H-::: w:1s arr8sted .:-ma charr.~d with st-2:.::li:1 . ., fr,_;m th~ :1,2rsnn ,.:,f ,,i:1,".!F.li;zwa c/s 269 (a) of the P:,nal° Cod,3. Ur,on c,:,~lvictj_on h,:, W':1S sentsnced tc 2} ;rears' im:.'rison:nent. He then ar"ealed. The ,rpell1mt's dsi:.:nce wr1s th7t he w:os ilJit'.,rate nnc. dicl not know how or rec·all wi1en he 2ce,uired the 0±'::.en-siv,, card. T£"1·3 trial Aunistr~te dj_d n0t DJy stt~ntion to this dafance. Ha

referred to , ' the fact th,t the e.::-,·.-,r,lLmt's nam=: 8n·.-.32,red in tt~ c}'1::_:rd anc th~t it hsld some receirts oi his and concluc!ed: :1 !1psrscn who w:rn found in rossession of th~ c:'.rc, must "epresumed t,·., "e thi, pGrson who stole the wallet." With respect, th"' :.1r-,:·:istrnte 1 s argutnsnt wc1s awkward and faulty. His c(mcli.1.sion w:~s n,__.t "orn•:: out "i;y his J.")r'.lmises nor had it any connection with the L=:it~er i1t ;:ill. Sv3n tnken "Y itsslf this conclusion was untsrie."•l::: on th1;: avail,.,,,.,l,3 evidence. The thGft was committed almo,,t ex:::,ctl;y t,,o 3rs::,rs ,. . ,,,fore t11s ·'.:i!'nelJr=mt wE,S found with the dou'l-,tful c-:-,rd. It sbould h.:::ve r:qwned on the lG::irned trial in.s-::istr::it:: thr.1t &t thG -very hsst th<: aP''ellc.mt could only '-'e Gaid to have "een a receiv~r ratbGr th~n th~ thief. llf't0r aC:dr(rnsin°·. m~y ,nind to thrs ::1e:L;nce I :=rn inclined to s1rnre tb.e -ciew of the le: ,rnsd .3t,::te l;ttorn3y th 1t the card in qu-sstic,n rnight 0 have ,_,ei;n 3'-'and,:,n,2d ct the a::ipallant's Pl'eJJisr:s, ,"! sho:rkee::er, 'hy · whoever stole ·cne sa,ne. Lnr' the ,'fppell21nt, enc:.iurr-:,ged hy .:lis illiteracy, mir:ht he.ve t~ken it for his own or for one he could ke·,r as his own. Th:: confi:1enc,s witi1 ,,i;.,ich he uttt:rec1 it in pu"lic on polling day su~gests to me th~t his acqui~ition of SAne might have "sen

uttsrly inn0cent. The trisl m2·~istr,1ts s.::sms t,') h:we ,_,sen nar-ticularly influenced "J' thE :,.'e1ct t.ll2t the w·""'3ll:::nt's na.ne anpearsd in t11is c9ri:l. This sn0uld riot he,vr;; influ,mced hi:n h::id he csred to rend or recell ths ,vi 8nc,; r:,rop.=,rly. From .J.)hanrnrn "lwitR (PW.,2), th'3 'l-,r:mch T,mu Chairman, we r•r::th3r th:,t tilt Pll."''•"ll1nnt's m~me did !lot a:!)I'?.:H in tht.; oarr: ()11 poJlins d.iy. This ·,,1F.1S re-rs::ite:l 1-w the fi;.1rsllimt in nis ~,3fencs. Th0 ar•,.311::mt's nam2 :liust th.:;n ti:-.;ve "1=en written i11 the. c..:1r:J 2fter it was t.:::;ken f'1,om hi•n "Y scme.Jne who was 1nxi0us to SA~ injustice ~one. ../2 2· I am person2lly satisfied thot ~1s a nellant was an innocent receiver of the cord. It h.ss not esc;c:1,ed rri;s/ 2ttenti )r: th1t the con;::,lciinant's ncJme is not 1 exactly the nrime in C"':rc1 No. 9526/i':l, Exh. "I\1'. Where2s the comphinant was .'1a,'"'<:i,"'.wa J,::1-tiJ!S ti11::.. c.\r if3. in, the:. n,rns of ;,Tc:PDi"'if'l'ei ;.fotarere. There were for 1 r:rizs thF:-c ,-=::rs ,:,vi~lent to the 1nkcd eye. 'J:'.h(c L,st iota on w,fa•"ai~,;fai" ·w,s 7,·aed in dif'fero.nt ink "nc "i\'Iatarere" is wholly written in differsnt ink on 1 ~1ck~round of erasures. The for~eries (-)Y,-•,t-d are r-, ·: t·>, c•+•· 1 .·-·,,,.,1lJ' · , 4 .on t·'n~ ,a.CqUlSl't'ion u~f' ti-~ n d• de: C,,.r 00 ·~-, -~ .li! HC:: ou·c,, . . . .-.,.•

.,l l·oc,l.-16~, ·"' C •• • Once A' ein tbs },~1st iot·~ in .L,,·•,.1j.,,,,v:.:ii is in diff'crsnt ink. 1 11 11 The second nnne orj>in:-i.lJy, r.s.•y'.,- .. ",!k-t-~•e.1t -r-ut-.~w;;,s 12-lo-urated wit11: an extra "re" to 11 ,Iaterere", c::1·":1:i.n in diff~rent ink. I am satisfied fro-n the nature of ths for:?.'3rjes t~12t ths card 1~elor,..0:ec' to '/Ja.noair•'IB ·iatnre the comnl2inant. Who,svsr wrote bhe ai:'t·el1ant 's name in the card could reason,? 1,ly J,e 2sswnr:d to 1,e ths author of th0.se other forgeries. He was seriously 1~e~-t.or;1 r1:Ql:i..$.it,,"•1h•i-s-.own·.'l;,rer;id,0f,justice. In the circumstancss set out a~ove I find it unsafe to sustain the conviction.· I will th·2rdore cillow the :::irpe2l, quiash the conviction and SE. t aside the. sor.tsncs imnosed. •. The a;i· ellant should ~e rs leased from custody ·forthwith unles,, furthsr lawfuJ Jy held. The card should ~e re:stored to fa~ai;~wP ,fr1tar.:~_,: // .· · ;/ -,:_.. :~}.\tJ(•i.{ ,\),.\\'\ K. S. K';· LUr!/.KIN ,IR!\, 'ta JUDGE: . .'iTWJlJ\TZf\ :22/7/1977.