19940706 TZHC Dar es Salaam

.. ~/' .4/ I Hfc1m1v LJ TIIB TIICfiI COURr OF T.Ai'i~'i.dIA J..T Di;,.tl ::s 8AL;.UM APPELL.;.aTE JURI5'DICTION CRIMiiJil.L .:u'PEil., 1m0 38 OF 1994 OBIGI1~J.L cn:f"JITL:{.tL CL:.;i8 :rm., 326 OF 1992 OF THE DISTRicr COURT OF IL..:;L,;'~ :JI ST RI CT .:~r· 1avu1w1\fI BEL~;::s J2:~ 1vII.rf'.}.f~.1:A-,, It::SIDEL~ m~'i.GISTR.i1.TB JlH,... HBI~C ••~•••••••o•••••••••••~••••••••••o ■ ••••• .J.PP.ELW.Nr "iT.Jil.3US Tiill HEPUBLI C 1.Ul{POJ.Wlili/T ·~- l,fto ■ o•••~•••••••••••••••••••o•o ■ o•••• J D D .G hi E 1~ T CffiJ.li.,2 J.' The appellant was charged. ui th tuo offences as followss ( 1) Obtainiug money by false pretences c/s 302 of the Penal Code and (2) Stealing by agent c/s 273(b) of t:ie Penal Codeo In the particulars of the first count it was allOi;oct that on tho 2/7/91 the accused being the Mana.;or of the l•1°K 0 G:;:,oup Husic 13and 1 uith intent to defraud or · deceive ho obtained Shs., 120,000 from illizaboth Kassim thereby promising to conduct a show for her but clid not do soo In respect of the seoond count it uas alleged that the accusocl had converted :jo his Oi·t.n. use shso 120JIOOO wl:.ioh ho received on behalf of tllo 1-1.K. Group. .il.fter a :full trial tho appellant was acq_ui ttcd in respect of tho first count but convicted in respect of tho second counto ' Tho follouing facts uorc not d.i:Jputod at the trial. Tho appellant was tho Mane.gar of tl:..c M.K.

Group band and in that capacity ho entorod into an agreement .-ri th tho compl2inant that the band would play at her praniscs on the 11/7/91. Tllo complainant paid shso 120,000 and tho accused issuod. her,,.,· with an official receipt of tho hand a copy of which 1-ras tcnderod as ExllJ.bit/ A1 ·\_ / .. ,. • • 0 0 0 0 2 ) ·~~ 1-· ;.( ' i I! -"'---- ·-- I> lit -i/" "' 2 By 6/7/91 the.. cor:rplainant aclrait7 t~1at tho appellant infonnod her that the band would. :1ot bo able to porforra on tho 11/7/910 Tho complainant insisted that in e:o..so tho band could not perform on 11/7/91 her Bonc,y should be refunded ~ho 2.1')pcllant asked t!10 cor:J.plainant to write a lotter to that offocto .:.ccor.1 il1g to the com:;?lainant by 3/9/91 she discovered that tho - appollant h2.,C1.. l·oon dismissed :..i,s Hanac;cr of the M.K. Group and thoreforo .she decided to rop,Jrt to tho Police 1.I£JG'Ol":J.oni who arrostcd tho appellant on 6/9/91 o T)1.o appellant dicl not clisputc the fact that 1-:..o had roceivod. the ' ....... money and agreed to refund it. The lo2.rnoc1 trial Dr.-,cistratc £W<.(t.n tted tho avpollant in rospoot of the first count ~ ,,cause s:10 ..lic7. not fi:cd any ovi.clonco of a false protanoa. In fincling t: -.o appellant e;uil ty of theft by agent tho loa:rnod. trial magistl'ate statodi 11 Ilad _ t::-.o e,ccusod pros out eel tho r:ionoy whore it was required "' thc,."l

managor,10nt coulc1 have arrangocl for tllo porformanceo H.K. Group did not i1or-.fon:i the cori1plaine.nt 's request as the raonoy had not roached whore it was 3Upposocl to"• With c.uo r0spoct to tho J.02..rnocl trial r.iac;istrato if tho money did not reach tho coffers of th~ l-ioK• Group t!1on it wao nocossazy for the prosecution to call a w:i. tnoss frora tho rli.K. Group to toll tho court about i to Indeed· tho M.K. Group should havo boon t>.o cor.1plainant in respect of tI::.is count ''-- of theft by e,Gont. Thero 1rac no ovid.onco at all that tho appellant had " convert od tho 1.1cmoy ho roccri, vocl on boheJ.f c,f the I•i~ K. Group for his Ol-Jtl pui:Posoo. It cannot be as.suocx.l that bocc.use tho band dic"L not porfoxm of the d.ny it Wo,G suppoaocl to t:1on :.10 ;_)ayr.1ont had bcou roccivcdo .Another reason t1o loaP.1od trial 1:1agistrato gano f0r convicting tho a.ppolhmt hl",~7. prosonted tho r.10noy to tho band then ho should havo not agre.od to rof'w.1cl tho L1onoy to t!:o conpleina.nt., fut it r.mst bo remanbarad that by tl:.o tine t::o e.;i:,oJ.lc:,nt wc.c rof\mclin0 tho iJoney ho was being throatonod. by tho Policoo By that tii:10 110 w::1.s also no lon5or the Mana.3ez, Tc regci.11 his frooc:lom t!:o appellant could hc,,vc agreed to rofun'.:1. tJ!o nonoy and later clai.ra frm t; 1.0 baJld. This havj_nc~ boon a Crir.1inal Caso it was tho duty of tho prosecution

to ro:aovo ~Y roe.oonablo doubt a.nc1 in this ca.so ovidcncc . froi:a M.K. GrouJ_) 110uld hP.vo oatc.blishcd whether or not tho appellant did not / ..... 00003 ~ ;:, ~-- 3 rcr.1i t tho 120,000 Shs he l1atl received .from tho cor.iplaino.nt and. to whon ho issued on official rocoi:pt which has not been doubtccl. Loarnoc.1 State attorney Hr. I:itinbwa did not support tho conviction and opined that this was a ca.so of Doro broach of contra.ct in ;-ii1ich case the complainant should have pursuocl her rights in a Civil Court. I agroo with tho views of tho learned State ..::.ttorney. The Police should not involvC:· tb.cnsGJ.vos in r,1atters which l'src purely of a Civil nature between tho · partioso IIacl there boon cl 02.r cviclonco that the 111.K. Group did not rocoivc. tho 120,000 8~100 colloctocl b;y- tho appellant then tho l)ro □ ocution case noulci. have boon baooc. on a firr.1 fortinc,;. Tho lacuna loft by tho absence of any cor.ip].aint fron tl.10 H°K 0 Grou1> is in r:r;; vieu fattl to tho prosecution ca.so. In ,tho result t::o conviction is quashed an,1 sentence sot asidoo The appoll1:1.nt should be sot froo unless ho is otherwise held in cmmection with another of:::'e."lceo 1.J. a.. CITLJ..'.. JlTDGE Jua.e,nont DGJ.ivered. in tLo p:ces6i.1ce. of tb0 a:;,::;0J J c:'.llt nnd Mr. Mtiobwa .state .l.ttornoy. .. Cel'tifi~ true copy of the Original. ,. ,,,