19771124 TZHC Dodoma2

... IN THE HIGH COURT 01:1 TAl,:ZANIA "AT :inDOl:TA JONATHAN, J Th0 three app-~lL:~nts uerc jointly convictell of r~ ·i;.:,::o..linB by S,;,:rvant enc soiit"cncocl.- un::.:0r the Hinir'.un S::mtcmccs Act·. A0 ninst tho conviction each of ·chor~ lv·.s petitionGd this court, ·:;h0 1st and 2ncl o.ccus;3d throu91 lh". Ch3T:b,?.k~,ro whila tho 3rc: 1::.ec1.,1_s,.:.,cl has :;.ppop_r-3cl in psrson. Tho accused 2,,t -~h:::;- rclGvc,,nt tir-.e wc,s ecployoc.. by Kolo Cooper:::-.tive Socj_ety o.:c Kondoa, the first G,ccused 2.s tho secret2.ry, th:3 soconcl accused c.ssist2nt socret~,ry 2,n:"_ -·-11;::; third accuse cl as o. coPI1i tteo i::.c,n, wl1.ich, howevor, uas not 2. 1x::.i(\. post. It w2,s the prosecution l,llcg~tion thnt.they jointly stole the sur,_ of shs .13, 125/== the property of th:>:; society. Th;.:; fnc"i.:is are brisf 8-nd lnrg:,ly unc1is11utcd. Tho socioty h2,s 2. sc1,fe where 2.11 -tho r.i.oney is kept. . It lv~s a r1..ouble-key syster-i., thc,t is to ·.say, to OJ_:ie11 2.ml to lock it two keys hnvo to be used. One of then vms alw-3..ys kept by -th8 first accusod and the other by the cor.ir1i ttee r:.:m. -th'3.t happened to be on duty at 2.ny ct~ven tir::e. At the relevant ti Pe the 3r('l_ accused -Wc::,G the conr:.i ·,::t ge i:~2..non du~y and hac the key. Both the the f±rst anQ second accused had not been pf;.id their salo..ries for· c, very lone tii·'.e, the forr'or for~19 r.1011ths cmd. ·the lc,tt0r for 21 nonths. PW.2 the watchnan, too, h,:i,cl not bo;.;n po.id.. On the relev~u1t clay three payr:.ent vouchers 2,pp :,ar -to ha,ve b .,on prepc'.red to po.y each of the thro,::: eo.ployoos accordinc; to how nuch -~hey were ow~·c1 by -the soci ·.::ty. Tho rocuh'1tions roquiroc1 tli;.::t no p~~,ynent should be nncle without the prior 2,uthorjsation of tho corr.ittce nan on duty. IncLocl, no r:,oney could b~; tcJ.rnn out of the safe with out his cons on ting anJ. hrwii:ie tho s2:.i:o op911ed. After tho payr.1Hn t voucher w,~s r:2..de out both tho firr:-1J.:; 2nd second accused receivoc1 thoir res-pocti vc su:·,.s nncl thciy duly signed for thor1 in th0 p2.y1:-2ent vouchers. The thircl-p2.yr::.:nt. voucher does not a,ppco.,r to hr.,vo bvc:11 sie,nec1 by PW .2. Tho witness in his evidence c1..cniGtl to h;::,vc rec ivecl tho sun 1 .• 2 2 reflected in thr.t docunent. It 1J':;,S ho1✓ over the contcnt:i.n:n of the first ancl second e.cclw.,·t ~~h. the:: rF.S p:::i.id tJ.rt 8I'.ount, ~,::.1c~ th0 lc;i:;tor substantiatinc th-3 c12,in producccl a chit~ which he saic1 had been· sic;ne'c1 l)y. PU-~·2 · 8.8 e. receipt. - .~his ._natter wz:i.r{ not - , definitivoJ,.y resolved by ·t~h8 louer. c0urt :Out h2;d it_pursuad . _, tt . to finality I woulcl. think. it w·oulcl h:=-=.vc given tho- defence the bencfi t of doubt th,:\t tho r .0i'L:y r1.ic;ht- ho,vo b:Jen paid -~o _PW. 2 ,. 1 ~specially o.s it could not h · vo ::i ;Gl1 token out o.:: the i:.;2,fe wilbho- ut the consent of. the 3rc~ accus-2u. • d. 3 , o, coC.'n,erative officer qh.E:ckoc: the. ,S one weE:: 1cs 1 a 1,.-:r p1,- .L account of tJ.12.t society 9 wl1·:?rou.pon he· discovered the short;":,[,;0 • I • . • • and founc.~ the thret~ pn;yr:.en-f· vcSuchers • t Tho accmJed., he cci:ql2.ined, w.-:.ro not ,11101·'"",.:i i·o r1,ilrn - '-" (..r., .L,-.,.~x., 'V V\.4 ~-~} I.J ••• \.J I 11 ·:.rr'·:,11,-i·s ') ~-1"<.,~/.--~V. no·'1,·1•1·i+h""t~n0ii1.r•· O -:•ht·. -:•J:rree ,V , - V (...l, • '-) V ..,..., U enployees had genuina clah1s,.. C/11:, . ·L;ho society • . ralev2.nt c~ny he 11~1,s net; th.,J co:;·; .i·ctc ;'.:an on du:t;y e,11c~ ·;;lL·t ·· !1':: person on. (.uty w2~s DW .4 whon called. This was. howey·,:c (~cniecl he by ·che witness who said. :l:;ho t:.drcl' accus "d ha/'_ been·, ·cho l) ;:,.'.'son on duty. I D.r::. SF.1.tisfi~cl on th:1 ;_,vi(GnCE) the 101:rnr cc·ur~ correctly fou.nc1 ·chu t}J.i rd 9,ccu.s :d to :·2.- vo b ,e,n on duty t·:1.en. Inr>:oc1, before 1 this court t:!::i.is e.ccus ·•··d h2.1=.;.: ;,.f:.;1j.-~;tc:d h'.; wc.1.s on (~uty 2.ncl ,.:.CJ::•.J :d Jrn hG,VG tho n011ey t,1Jcon out of the :..:afe. Ha clai.r-:s, hc'1-rev0r ~ th~-:.t he understoorl t:h0 r:onGy,r was b 1.:::~_nc ·c:-i.ken out to buy produce ::D.1t i"i:; we.a.not intcnc~o1 tc a:·;ply i't···£01-·rc.rc~s p~fn.nc; t1.1.o Lrrcc::,rs of s,:11,:::.ries. Thj_:3 is 1:m aftcrthC:n.ic;ht 2.11 11 I nn srd;isfiecl 2.s w2.s ·che lower court ,;,1-!-110u.~h lJ 1·., ,.. -C, ·'C# )t J_hr ~--, ,_, \J ti•.,.., .. , lY1•r 3 c1 1·c1 J-'1e· l,l chr.•c .:.; .~.),.. J.• : ..... _( t. ~- _ 1"'1·,'),... +11° "J,;,,~rr- --·Jt. vrn, .. t:_, V .i:: (A.,.jJ..1.\..rl. .i, ... V 0 U \...'lA,. chers hnd not b·.,on sign:.;d ;::,y th,) ·[;hire~ 2:.ccu.sed n.s the 2.uthorising offic inl, he hs.cl inf2.ct :~.uthcr~.sod tho nonoy to bo np 1)lic:c1 towards paynon t of thos,.3 s2:.l2.ri<JS. Both the leo.rned ;:-,,C.vocr.ta for tlrn fj_rst and secorHl appellant an<l U1e lr:,2.rnuc: st::·.te attrrney are in .?, 0 r·:;ermnt t;-i,-·,t, on the f;:·.cts of the cc:•.sG ·cl1.-J c.)pc:Jlla;1ts uerc wrci·0 ly cc:. 1v:Lc·c0d. For the rs2.sons t111Jy hr.vo c;j.vGn I :i,n : r·2~p\1ctfufully oi ·i;hrJ r:::.-~ :e vj_ew. rn11e ..L , ~ U -:iccl'''P.c~ fi· ,,,c:,·'G -:-,.,ro c,., ;,,,, ,, •._:_, ..., . ~-..-,(~ P1.J e 2 f --·fnr \., C.:,J.!. .....,,,.,,;.c•o·1s J. ,• 1 '·l.11.7 C1'1 J. ',,~N•~ V' ...._--' i -:,,,,, '-J ,,J... paid. In the Emd, presu:.:2))ly out of clespir:,.tion, th.:·y clocicJ.cc'.. to pay thenselves, aut of thr.~_..funds of· ·the society, their Eff1.plc,yor, this with the sa11c·Gion nf thr-; ·c'.'.811 coruitt(.JG J:18.ll on ,lu·ty whc Wf\S infz.1.ct the vice-ch~.irn.:'n o-r- -;;h8 :=;ooi r/;?, c,nc:. 7.f~ninst o.. recei:yt; :i..:i.1 G:·,ch cc,se. Cnn they, when thoy :x•,:Lcl. th :-)nr,;r:lves unc~er those circu;,:,:s·cz,,,,,"1.ces and in -tb.c..t n2..nner, be s~:-J.(1. tc h,•.vr; :::,.ct,K1 °frnudulently .::.ml w:tthout 1 - 3 ... . .r-;. o.. clnin of righ:t" .:·ri tJ:lin th: definition proV-id.:::c1 in section, 0 : 258 of the ·Peno..l Code'?• Certo,inly not_. ,. . The s_ociety ouecl . 4il1en :thccm suns and n.ltht,uc;h• it nsy h::,,ve b~..>en 11rong ' tho short cut they resort:.c: to 1 th~;;y not only ho,d 2, cl2.E1. of . - •' right on the ncm.Gy but in 1:~1r thc;y c,lso 2.cted innocently. L . ' 8.nd it is ordered · the a1)pello,J1ts be sot rtt 1i1:vffty. if tb_.. ey o.ro ' ' - . not otl-ic}rwiGr~ ·lawfully helc~. 1,~\ :P.M. · JO:NATHAN 9 •JUDGE Delivered in open c,Jurt this