19931025 TZHC Dar es Salaam
The appellant acted as a bona fide purchaser, believing he had a genuine claim of right to the land, supported by evidence and witnesses. The prosecution failed to establish criminal intent or knowledge of lack of right. The conviction and sentence were quashed as the evidence did not prove the offence beyond...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- 19931025 TZHC Dar es Salaam
- Parties
- Appellant: Hosmis Nzili; Respondent: Republic of Tanzania
- Court
- TZHC
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Judgment Date
- 25 October 1993
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment
- Outcome
- conviction quashed, appellant acquitted
- Legal Topics
- Criminal Trespass, Claim of Right, Bona Fide Purchaser, Land Ownership
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Hosmis Nzili
Appellant
Republic of Tanzania
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the appellant committed criminal trespass under section 299 of the Penal Code
- 2 Whether the appellant had a bona fide claim of right to the land in question
Ratio Decidendi
The appellant acted as a bona fide purchaser, believing he had a genuine claim of right to the land, supported by evidence and witnesses. The prosecution failed to establish criminal intent or knowledge of lack of right. The conviction and sentence were quashed as the evidence did not prove the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
Court Disposition
conviction quashed, appellant acquitted
Orders
- sentence set aside
- order to demolish appellant's house quashed
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
IlJ T.EJ1: :-:~rec: C(YJ.,_lT OF TANZANIA ~- ?7 D"'' ~- ,!~; ~ES C!;,T A AM ~ .UUJ.tl.W'J. ~ APPELIJ.~}JE JORI SD I OI1I ON :.~let.I COU;lT G:'J:1-lllIAL AP.PEAL NO. 112 OL1 15:)3 O~!IGINAL CRIIIDiAL CASE NO. 496 OF· 1992 ,. :::IV"JICOIIT HOS)flS rJZil.LI , , • , •• , ••••• , •••., • , •• , • .ll.I1'1'L1...-'\1-f'.l' ( ORG .- .6.CCUSl1!0) TCI'SUS Ju :0 GM EN T1 . •"' lifll ¥ *!fl "I MACKLUJJr,,. J;- .... ;:'4 . ~ ~Le ~,!)Ollo.nt and. t·io o·i.:l.o;s wexe oha.tgecl wi•:;2: o::i::ri.11.al 'b:csi1r,; .., o/n 299 of the Pm'lAl Qodo. ~e a.ppollant uv..s the Is·~ aoou.sccl cluri110 t'_~c t=ial in the OOl-~-~ ~ ; , , . Aoco:rcli1-ic to -the ov1ucnoo of ~lh Mwasong1·ro (p;r4) her: hullbancl sold. a.- piooc of lancl to one ac~:rgQ ~/e Eiias (ETj:) Jo:i: a sum of shs,65,000/-:=, T:.10 soconti. accUJ;jocl, o~Q Leoooxd Mc.:t:j,-'Gu. 1 is alleged to have 1tl-'.;ncs~Jo~l Ja;Jlis J~ranao.o-'.;ion. PITI made a. dow.a. pq;rncnt of shs._50;0-,0/= on the nt:{·~)X-il 7 1990; he pa.id the 1x.i,la,;.1.oc of sh.s.15,oCX;j,-, ca 2nd I'if',T, ::.~~-1. Soon after pUJ:cha.::ii;.40 ·Gll.is pm-eel I:1 a -~:ra11sadio11 coii1l)lc·~clY W')J'clated to Pl1I 's pl:X•o:iasc of lal1cl 1 the a;::,polla;.1t also cn·~e,:rcc1 il'r~o a.n ~eemcnt to ~o:iaso a pioco of land. '.J:c -vc:1d.or v1c.s Lconax-cl H,q;l;;_-'GJl; -'mo t3aoo11d acCL:octl, Dv.xinc; ·;;:,10 nogotia-',.;ia:.1s, one Abdallah ~ d , tho 3rd accused, insis·~ccl tllat -'Gl:.o plot ol lalrl i.1 q1.10s'i:iion bclongoo. to th.o 2nd, aQCl-1.l3cd. At the end of it all 'li:.o 2i.,cl. accused sold a piaoo,of land '"Ji;a ·lbl::.c- appcllonjti for a S'U,i1l of s.1.!..s,130;000/=, he iila<le n d.gttn p03D1ent of shs;,90,000/"" on ·l;.b.c spot, _, ' , . . i,e, on 19 Dooomber:, 1991~ p:o p~d the ba.J.ancc on 20-;;·1 Doocmbe:r, 1991 • .. •• / ._ ... -· ' ·~'· -•:. Thl,s tn.:;.10Mtion was wHno~::.:ccl 1{r -~>c •l1cn Coll ~oa.ar:, 0110 N~eo Na.11papa, and ti:c To~1 Ooll Scexda:;;J one s:ia·iJa:n Yal1t)Jra ~ (~) , ?-~ 11ottl.cl. appear fr-0:,1 Ji;:".:o cviclcncc that the plot 1-r.'.:ic:.i PUI olro.;·_;ccl to l:a.vc i)Oti.c}.1:~ is t:ie snmc piooc of la.t--id which ·c:.:..c r..;:'ir;cllLl.1Ji; appor..rs fo have bouch:~ ::i."-.c om the 2nd aoo\..taed, The wri ttei1 a.=.,T o cr.10:;.r;; wi tncssil]G the ptuo::ar:,c of ·the pa:rocl o~ land by PWI wa.s tcnclc:r,ccl as Fo:rh.PI, ro'ld j 1 t:illC d OCl'.I:1C:,:.;' lLUC.w. , . , wi·.;ncGGC:S .. .,,.: ...h ..,, . , . ,.. 1 d v.'-lC l)lll'~asc OJ.: ·i;.,:~c Sc',l'.1O l)1COC Ol;. ru.1: by t:~o Oi.,)pcllan-~ in •hlJ.is oas<; was ·~endercd as E::::i1,P_. 2. I-'.; was 011 t:J.ir3 evicicnoo -'i;:io;~ the appcllan-~ <l.1.tcl. -'i;b,e othe.1: accusccl ucI c :Zor1.nd guil-l;y ot orimi~-ia.1 ·liJ:tospMs o/s 299 o1 -l.b.c Po~ (;odo; thc2r wc:.:c aoco:rcling].Jr oonviotocl o.;.id acn·~enccd ·i;o Va1'~"ing tcxms of imp:riso:r.10::-t, Tho a.ppt.illan:~ l'-OQoivad a four 110:1-'~' 01,l.S'todial seiT~oncc u:".:..ilc each of ·~ll.o ot.hcl'· t;ro uas scn·~enccc."i. -~o 0110 i,1011-u' s imp:risonr,1m1Jli • $.10 Oour-'G also ,,. ord.cxod. -t:iat m1,7•thing st:.c:.:. as a ~:,t:fl.cti,,ng which 1-1as ~oo·cec'L on -'Q1c plot whio:1 J..,:_:c Oo~::r-;; :fou.nd bclonc:;c(.-;_ to IJ.iw;i s/o Geo:rgo (Pir.t) bo oomplo·~a~~ dGill.olis:.:.cc1. -'.;o allow rc.a.0a.11·~ 1,or.:1::.:csqion to the s~d JIQ,i.f.lil a/o Geoxgc t1,., unlcsn o·r10r:uiso the oont:r~~,.. is l,c~al~ s;.10-wn_.·tt I·~ i □ i:·i1portcJn-;; to 110·::c -~.w-c the a.ppellant h~1.. lon:-; since 'buil·t a. house 0:1 ·:.1,w plot in c_:ti.cr:f~ic-:,1 in which he 'Wat;i J,:.Vinc ir:.~cn 1.e a;_,por-.20:l ho OO;:J.j,jQj.l.d3 ~~.lut th.c leaxn.cD. ·bxial, mae;istrate ~t:ecl i·, laH in not -J. havin..:-;· OOiWidOl'cd the a:fipcllants' d.Zonoe of l1011cc;·~ c!.aim of right. '.fuc sooond C,'X'O\..utd complains D.C;'a.i:Qa-'w tho h.axsllnce::.: o:Z sc:1-:;cncc he uas awardccl ~.:Qspco·t . of tho .wt that he was a lhs·~ o:.?:?cn~lc:r~ IIr·, DlaJ_1dos, lca.rnccl rf~atc A:~-'i:iorney, who appoar eel for: the Rept~bl.:i.c i..tM cl.co lined -~o ::rn.ppoxt ·iiJ.10 conviction.. Ire :.·,as 5-ivon tluoc .• roaoona, :u'i:::s-:;ly, the 11p1)cl12..i1·0 io a bona fide purO:~a from t;_1e ~td acctwoc.l~ ·oollcvi;,1c; Jl.il.1&.-t -:;_·_,_c ocl:'..-:::::: was the rightful OV.-le:r- of tlrn land . di spt'.vC, l.11 .i. .. ,. '....i.10 2nd accl--.SCC.L, ,· G pl~L c:r-~QO. , ' OWl'!r!(sh.; 'P ;i-ras , d b •'- Slt).)l)O'.i:"tiC iy 11...lO • 3rd MCt'.occ.".. , Socond].y, ~o ocJ.c ~ms made befoio, onc1 was uitncsscd by, tho le3aclc'.i:'s of the oell in 1i.,ic:i. tl1c pl,ot is eitu,i:tod, I on-i;ircl,t ~ce w:i. th -'iflis if.i.01-1. I may add t::.a·;; ·:;;.tis is a simple, and ij-'.;J:a:i.;2,htforwru:cl civil ii1at·~cx in whlch ·1;hc ooa;)la.ina.nt oU&h,t to have GOL;ght a civil r-c;·,icc.l.j, Baoa,..::ao ·iii.a appellant :..1.&1 o. genuine olaim ()f u@.r~ u:.4a'..:. is suppo:rfo<l. ..... ,/3 ( ... J •..·. by c:rvid.01100 oi' Jiilic Cell le~s, t!.19, ~go .tigai,1~-~ 2.d~,1 oould no-'G be pJ;ovoc.l. iJ_t ta.o-',, ovid.cnoQ ~~i r-ocora 1ai1a f.a:r sb.ort o:Z or,rliabliahi:ng tl1c o::?1'01100 1ti-'.;h which ~G.ho t1-l)PC11~t ~ -ehar:g·ocl, 2 is o::Z:fonco CM be prcrtcd oitl,; uhaxc t:10:r·c i □ c•;;i:::.cncc os-'Ga.blisl.1.inc -~_'._i.a;~ Mtxy on t:.io land in qr:.ca•~ion "l"Tu.s :Zm:ci :Jlc ui-:..::. in-cont_ to 8.llltOYa In -~10 ins·i;ant oasc -~~-~c ~-pcll:·,::t 1s s•;;a,·;;c c:2 ;-;ii:::c m1s tlia;i;_ of a. bona. ficlo pu.rc~1a.sc:q i·t uao a 1·.:.:--...d. w: .iol1 is a;.:poo·~o:.: , .. te::rn s·~ops to devej.op t:.10 land :.10 had r:-cc.c.:c:1 to 1)olicve was :us.. 2 ..:c :::cqtti.,r.i to irr~c1i·~ has net been ., " li :::..:.c~ ostiaD ' ....~c:.:c; cspccJ." . cl 1...:·, · '• ·.;_10 :rccor d . d oes noli ., (l.'..:m1 ' ~- {l'.:au-'- -~~10 '. gppn1l.n;;.1"'G :'.\cc;o-'~iat:xl to 1J1.1..:;~ uo dispufod pieoo of la.ud 1r:V~ lmowlc~-ce -'lib.a~ -~·.:..o ::,a;:10 par-eel o:Z la:..ic'. ~-.au all;oa<ly been QOlcl -'i;o :J-'.):,100110 else. ~-=G .. _" • •,._oxoo·~od t:.:.c :1.ol1.so in broclJl da.y· ligh-'u• As -'ii.his 001.i.x"i; ~.tolcl in NclaJ.,aonj~ · . ·--~ {1970) ··t.:· ...;,i; n, , , If the oo;,1111~t W'a.s enney-cd, ~t 112.s not :f9x "'i;)1c :fo:oibl.o ent.y,. :fQJ: th.ere :lad bgm1 nono • .-u1 iConscr,ttcn·~ ·~)• - upon -'v.his -lihe .oonvio-'~io11 iG quAShcd, scn-:;Qi.1cc anrl "'..b.e ol'dcx ·co c1.c;·,101ia_;_ -~he complui:1.<U.1·~•s ttuoss, thcroforc, -~c cq_1pcllant be h.cld in ~Gl)co·~ o:Z ot:10x la.}rl'Ul o:=ouscs, : .o i10L1.ld "be so·~ a:'.i 1i ;JcI:·'.i~r foxthw;i. th. J, M. Mll.GK.ll.NJA JUD~ ~Ao/J.99,. Ur, ~o.i.1.c"':.cG ( SA) r For RcpL:blio Appolla;~t.: In pcI:so11. ;.