19881107 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Citation
- 19881107 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Status
- Judgment
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 7 November 1988
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment
- Language
- English
More details
- Court
- TZHC
- Decision
- 7 November 1988
- Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment
- Language
- English
On this page
Professional case brief
Research organized from the available case record
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
AppellantThe United Republic
RespondentAmounts and remedies
- Value of Stolen Articles: TZS 100,000
- Value of Unrecovered Articles: TZS 66,000
- Sentence Imposed: 3
03
Procedural history
Posture
Criminal Appeal / Judgment
04
Questions and positions
Legal issues
- 01
Whether the conviction for breaking into a building and committing a felony (theft) was justified
- 02
Whether the sentence imposed was excessive
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
Legal principles
- 01
Common law
Doctrine of recent possession
- 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.
TZHC
Judgment· 7 November 1988
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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