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Tanzania Judgment

TZHC

19881107 TZHC Dar es Salaam

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Professional case brief

Research organized from the available case record

Source document

01

Holding and result

The appellant was found in recent possession of stolen articles, and the trial magistrate was entitled to believe the prosecution witnesses. The conviction is sustained as the evidence supports guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

Orders

  • conviction and sentence sustained

02

Material facts

Parties

Hanisi Kilongola

Appellant

The United Republic

Respondent

Amounts and remedies

  • Value of Stolen Articles: TZS 100,000
  • Value of Unrecovered Articles: TZS 66,000
  • Sentence Imposed: 3

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Criminal Appeal / Judgment

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
The appellant denied entrusting the weighing machine to Samuel and denied possession of the box containing stolen articles, repeating these denials in the appeal.
Respondent
The prosecution relied on evidence showing the appellant was in recent possession of stolen articles, supported by testimony from Samuel, Hussein Waziri, Kasongo Kassinu, and Constable Nelson.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    Common law

    Doctrine of recent possession

  2. 02

    Penal Code, section 196(1)

    Sentencing for theft exceeding certain value

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The appellant was found in recent possession of stolen articles, and the trial magistrate was entitled to believe the prosecution witnesses. The conviction is sustained as the evidence supports guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Obiter and limits

  • The learned magistrate misdirected herself in stating the offence falls under the Minimum Sentences Act, 1972.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

  • conviction and sentence sustained

Source and reliance status

TZHC · 7 November 1988

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Judgment reading view

Judgment text

The complete available source text.

Source document

TZHC

Judgment· 7 November 1988

19881107 TZHC Dar es Salaam

rn THE HIGH COURT or TL..HZ.iJTL'• •:.T DL.R ES Sii.LiJJ'.i l.PPELLJ.TE JURISDICTION (D 1 Sala2JJ• Rogistre..ry) RIG:::::: CCURT CRDUIC.L LfT..,~:..L NO. 121 OI' 1988 ORIGINL.L CRITEN,'~L C.".SE NO. 87 OF 1988 OF TITE DISTRICT COURT O:D' ~-:OROGORO DISTRICT LT MOROGORO • Before ICTJLOLELI.. ? Esq.,~ District r:b,e,i.str2.to lliJ:11S I KILONGOLL. & OTHERS • ••••••••••••• ., o. • •••••••••••• LPPELL.,:J-TT ( Original f~cct.uJod) versus THE illTITED ?.ZPUBLIC •••••••••••••••·•;••••••••••••••••••RESPONDENT (Original Prosecutor) JUDGMN.\JT MAPIGL.NO 9 J. Hanisi Kilongola has c:.ppcalcd against his conviction for breaking into a bu.ilcling and oorn::1i tting a felony tb. orein, to wH stealing, contrary to section 196 (1) oi': tho Penal Code. T110 trial nagistratc sentenced hir.1 to inprisoni-:icnt :for tI1rco yoa.rs. It we,s rw·i; in clisputo th2,t a c.lispens.:::.ry belonging to tJ.:o Tanzania RaHW,\f~; Corporation situe..tc at the Railw2,ys Workshop at Morogoro was bro1.rnn into in tb.c nigb:b of 11th/ 12th March, 1988 9 and that several articles inolucling a weigl1ing machine? ElifT cliagnostic set and a First .t.id Box Kit w0rc sfolcn. r[l:::.o trial i\Iagistrate found so and his fii1ding is not boing o~mllengccl by thu appellant. The evidence showed that one of the articles ·that were r.1tolc11 frou -~lJ.O dispensary, i~c .. 2. weighing r.:iachino 9 was fonric"':. in the

possession of Hussein Waziri at tho 1'forogoro n2.:ckct on 14/3/88. Hussein who was in the cou1pt1i1;y- o:i:' Kasongo Kassinu had displayed it for saleo On in-i;crrog2,tion Hussein claL7cc_ that he J.1ad. bought the r.1ac:1ino fro□ Sar:iuol Knnyaga for shs. 700/ =. When S2.i:;;uol was contacted a:1d CfLlOStioned ho oonfil~occl Hussein's account and 2-llegocl t:lE'.:b tllo oaollino hacl been cntrustcc1 to hin by ·i;ho appolla11·~$ his 11ci5hb01.,r? :,:or Galo,. Sar:iuel wont on and. 6.isclosed that tho a11pellant hacl o·c:1or itcns at his l10Do v(1ioh he intonclcc.'.. ·co clispose of. Tllo ]_)olico ck:cic-:.od -co -era;_) t::w appcllar:i:t. Tho prosecution cvidoncc s::10wcd llow tho trap was laid, how ·i;hc D,;_}pcJ.L:mt ca.r:10 to J'ilworc .School 1·idinc a bio;yclo c.ncl 02.rryin..:., 2, bo:q how ho was ap1)ro:~.onc.luc"t by PW2 Co11stablc :Nelson of t!.10 naih~2;fs Folioo in proscnco of ·sovoral poo9lo 9 after he l1acl nado 2., bicl.. to oscapo 7 m1d how ·c:-.e bo::: was opened ancl founcl to c0ntai11 sor.10 o::? -c:.10 other articles tI::rd; :lad boon stolen 2:i.·o:J ·cho clispons,:c:cy, 11.a,i-:ioly E.N .To cliagrostic sot m1c:'.. a I:'irst i.id. Bo:1: Ki'Go 2 - The appellant denied entrusting tlle weighing Machine to Swr:iuol. Ho also denied tllat ~10 was fmmcl in posoossion of tho bo:: that contained tho other two stolon arciclos., T:.10 trial nagistra,to fmmd Saouol 9

Ilusscin Waziri 9 Xc,,song'◊ Ko.ssin anC. Const2,blo Nelson to bo truthful witnesses. L.cting- on t:'.loil~ ·i;os·Gii:1ony she found that t~10 appellant wao in recent posocssion of tho stolon articles., Imel :1aving rejected tho denials of t:10 appellai.Yi; as lies the lec..rnod oagistrato concluclocl th2,t tllo appellant we,s a :)o.rty to ·cho o:Cfonco. In his petition of appeal the appella11t essentially rope2,ts --tho cleni2,ls ::ie 0,dvai'1ccd. in tho trio.l court~ Having consiclerocl tho oviclonco on record. I 8J:t satisfied -cb.at the loa:::nod. rangistrn..te I s judgnont cmmot bo fc:,;:.,1Hocl. Tho ,oagistrc..te w2,s oatitled to beliovo tllo 20-...1..r witnosooo. Tho oviclonco o:i: Constable Nelson in p2.rticular deserved. tho croclit tll2.t the learned Bagis·i;r2.to accorded it., I will s1,wt2,in t:10 conviction:., Tho appellant was 2,, first offonclor. But tl10 vc..luc of' tho articjles !:>.c stole is in c.;-::cess o? shs., 100 9 000/=• As observed above, sowe of the. articles were recovered. Tllc vnluc of those -;;~1<1,t disappcarccl i:J in e:r:coss of shs. 66,ooo/=o Tho off once carries a r.1a.xir:n.u:1 penalty of ton yoars t inprisonr,1cnt. The sentence awardocl was, therefore, :.1ot o:;;:cessivc ~ al though tl::.o learned magistrate misdirected l10rsel? t!12.t the offence :f2,lls under the ar.~bi t o-2 J.;he Minirnm Sentences f:..ct 9 1972, In tl1c final result this appeal is disnissecl in its entirety. 7/11/88

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Authorities

Authorities used by the court

Cases, legislation, regulations, and constitutional provisions identified in the available record.

Penal Code section 196(1)

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

Minimum Sentences Act, 1972

Legislation

Legislation referenced in the available case record.

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