19881223 TZHC Dar es Salaam

.h.rr.1'.JLL.1-,.'l'.c.; JUrtlb.i.JlCTIL;N tiiGtl CvUn'.1' Ci,il·1J.llihL h.l:'.C .u.hL r11.., .102/00 vuIGIN.1-,.L C~lMl~hL C~0~ hu. 233 vY 1~07 .. . v:F .CM .LJIB'r~\J.l,'l' Cvlil"\T vF 11,-,11-1. 1.,L::,'l'hlCT 1-1.'J.1 l\.L::i U'l1U .ul.JFv~,l; 1'" o .ti. o CHILLGNJI .d::, '--(,o 1 L;D;:_, l.i.,.6h'l' hhG lb ·l'hr.T L KITv;;-i..Nll.. ~.1-,.LUh ••••••••••••••••••••••• hrrtLL1-d~'l.1 (0riLinD.l .1-,.ccused) versus 'l'ii._c; UNIT~0 1t.r:..t'U.rJLIC •••••••••••••• l,.t..::i.PGN1,1:;NT (vriLim,l .l:'rusec_ut or) .,. J U JJ G M .i!; N T t· The a~~ellant, Kitwun~ b&lum, w~s chciLed with six cth~rs with "- the of~ence ,,f rvb,,(:;ry with vi0l-=nCE: c/s 205 ...:nd 2u6 uf the renal r,,_-.~8 in the JJistrict Cuurt vf llalu "'t Kisutu, LJar es S&l~~m. They were 11 ~lsc chcr~e~ with Unl~Lfully blterinc ~nu QffixinL iuentific~ti~n m-rks 0n a _mut0r vehicle c/~ 11(4)(a) ~nd ll(b) of the Tr&ffic 1-1.ct hv.30 uf 1~73 ■ ~he Le~rned llBSiuent MaListr&te fuun~ ~s u f~ct th~t the cum~lain~nt, rllnur Hu0u.a, th~ owner of the mutor vehicle reListr-tiun ~o.tZ 7409t·w&s on 2~th July, 1~06 at abuut 2G - 30 hl.-urs violently, ctnu .... t 1_,un i.,oint, ro"Gbed of the s&iu mote,r vehicle. li.owevt::r;· he wc..:s not satisfieu. un the ev.iuence e.<.luuced by -t,he 1,rose- cutiun thc..t the a}J1-,ellnnt :.,..n~- h:i ·"' r-,) -.'l,1"'<•11.~,.,,1 h,ok p,-,rt in the violent · a.s;;,cJ.ult 0n the crnn11lA-in,-n.i:., tcnLl. ~s a result be. ::t.tc½.uitted. them :.::.11 on the rohLery charGe ■ tie alsu ac4uitted. all the accused and the a~pe- 1~ant on the seconJ count. The av~ellant, however wus fuund suilty uf beinL found in poibession of ~ruperty un~er sectuiun 312 bf the ~enal Goae and w2s as a result sentenced t0 seven years imprisonm~nt. 'l'he alJJ:.,~lls.nt, Jiss"'tisfied with the cunviction ancl sentence, . has ap:[.,ealed tu this court at;a_inst the cc:nvictie,n and sentenceo He set • up 12 cruunus of a~ 1 eal .i~ his memorandum ot appedl but all exc~pt tvc are ex~ressin~ the same ~uint. I have propusecl to tle&l with the only two whith, in my openiun, are relevant fur c~nsiderbtiun and decisiun, ~nu l append them hereun~er:- 1. ~hat the learned trial·md~istrate had erred in law and fact in tak.ine; into account ancl believine, th~-t the uis~mtE:-_. car alle~edly fuun~ in the possessiun uf the appellant bore a fctlse rebistr~t10n number rz 70336, whereus on record, ~t wi;,..s nut i-iruved tu thc..et effe·ct ii:i view of the fi:A.ct th&t 0n j t.s prctiuctiun in cuurt a~ exhibit ~-7 the s&me tore re~istrgt~~r number~~ 74L~6. - C. - beca~se the essence ·to ce,nvict an ~ccusea ~ur&un on this offence, the ~r0s~cuti0n 0½Lht t0 h&ve adduced evidence. th~t the person ch~rGed knew ur h~d the reuson to know th&t the pror,urty he :,,u i:,0ssessed Wc-.S c.1. st0len on(:;, &n 1;lement which was ~0t ~roved amun~ uth~r ~lements in this case. ~n he~rint the appe~l, th~ appellant a~ie~r&d in persun, wh\:;reLs the nepuGlic w~s represented by the le-rn0d bt~te gtturney, Mr. Kolli~ye. rtlthuu~h th0 ap~eliant s~itl h0 ditl nut h~ve mure ~oints to s&y ½~si~0 □ his L,re,unu.s 0n his ni1:;mur<-.nuum of 8.}/eei..,l ht::, h0i1.c:ver insisted th- t ~>- :. ,; "'llow._a tu cl..irify his st.:.:-t"'ments of ur,1,eu.L, he stc:. . rte<J. by tclliri:_:. : __ i,, ccurt th-t th<:: evitlenc~ at the lower court ~~s ~urely ~ fi~we up ir:. the lliCtor vehicle peuLeut 504, ~~ 70336 w~s very well kn0wn tu him L.r:.c. it Gel0n~ctl tu une Hnth0ny ~utric. ~h~t it w~s thd ~~~ellunt wh0 t,r0ue,ht it t0 the: pu.rkinL i,L.,:.c...: whc-r1:: th8 1,...,lice fuuncl "'nu s·ei_z1:;..:l it. ~he i,arkinb ~luce w~s c hiu~en pluGa but w~s ~ comruon pvrkin~ ~l&c~ where gny une brincinb his c~r there t0 ~~rk CGulu see the s~i~ u0tLr- vehicle. 1'he alJkellunt further stated he, ~einG a mutor mdchanic, his frienu .l:'c..tric ap:i.-ro~·cht:tl the al,J}.;eliant o.n1.,. i:J.skeu him if he cuull,.. stlc.w him (.!:'cttric) a plt,ce where he c uuh; s.:..fely pL,rk his motor vehicle E,r; .J:'atric wus G0inL on sufuri to arush~. ~he appellant broucht ~/:J.tric t0 ~ ~~.b, balim hult~n, the watchman of that place where the st0len car wc.,,S f0unu 1,,&rk0Ja 1'he wc.tchmo.n, .:iccorclinc tu the Clp}Jellant, ae-.-r8e•_'. t t&ke Ci....re of thc car c,t l., }!rice uf ;:,hs. ·30/= JJer d.0..y. 1'he a[Jl,i;llc:.nt h~vint said this ccntenu.ed th&t the ~r0secutiun contr~dicteQ itself when they u.lleLed thut 'the motor vehicle o.t the scene bore re~,istrc:.ti;,);_ number T~ 70336, whereas when the c&r wus tt:ntleretl in court as exhiLit 1 the rcListr~tion numbers on.the nun~cr pl~tes were TZ 74~96. The uriLin.::i.l nur.n.,ers c..,n the insur.-:,,nce sticker, u.ccoru.inb to the -&ppel'. E.r:t '. vp1,11::~reJ tu huve b0en rul.Jlieu uff anu thtreon in.stc~.u nuwb,/r.s 'l'Zi 7u3_";,( were superimposed. 'rhe trial 1i,'--L.istrc.:..te, therefore, the ap1,e1lant s::i<.. ' uoubted th~t pi~c0 0f ~viJence esi,0ciully when the n_me on the inbur,nct sticker w-s fcunc. tc be th.-...t of .i:ih:....rif, th0 secu!a.i ,:;..C(,USe:'i l..t tht; tr1:.l, ~nu in effect he (2nJ accUbbtl) w.-...s ~c~uittetl. In view uf such douLt, the C,1..t-'iellD.nt cuntcnuett, the ~rcst::c;utiun <liu n0t hi..,Ve l.. c0ncrete ~n--:. sclic.. eviuence l.:.nC.: ~-s such the tri~l mc.-.r.istr"'te w'-'-s wronL to convict the Lq,;r,elL:,nt ur, the b . . . sis that the robl.ie;cl cL.r Wi.. s fvllnu. in the hE".nc:s of the ~~~ellant. It w~s ~lso the crLument 0f the up~ellant th~t tte; lectrned trial m&Gistr~te failou tc ev~lu~te the appellunt's evic..ence, fc,r, huu. he uune sc; ~1.e 11rnulu huve rec:.lisetl th<--t the prosecution f~ilc'..:'. tu reGut the eviuence _0f the i~tellant especi.-...lly when he pointe~ uut thut he he..(.,;, inf0rrneG. the lJolice thu.t the uwnc:r of the u.isputetl car t0 11 i·,uiDui Guest H.0use 11 ut !vJw::,;,n[,DYc.tf,,~L: where the culprit - .l:'[..tric h~u 101.-L.eu Lefvrto 10<-,vint, fur I.rusho.. ·i·h<.,..t, c.-lthoul_,h pvlice ccnfinL,. irun the J..iuibui Guest B.e,u,se thc).t _:..,ne 1-'c,.tric he.tu. lou.t;e<..,, there ancl h&~ Finc..lly 1 L . . ft - 3 - the o.h•el i.Hlt st&tt::11 thc..t the ulJ.cvtiGnS 'uy the: :rolice ~hc..t he \/&S the e,n<:: whu "'ltereJ. u.nc.; fc.. lsific:L£ the nui,,bers fr0m T:6 74L76 tu rE:ac'. Tz, 7U33b were n0t .t,1IOV(:;J us,- tht:.:re Wi;,.,S no such eviu,enc~ to 1,,r0ve t.h;_,,.t he WuS the ~ne whu ~efused the numbers un the: insurunce stickE:;r ~~~ then technically supp~rimposeJ faked~n~mb(:;rs;.~n~.Eecondly tL~t ~pl.rt from the insurunce sticker, the numb~rs on the cbr plbtes pruduc~~ tu the: c0urt tot0eth1::r with the vehicle were t.l:H:: uriLinal unes, ne,,,.r,10ly, TZ 74~9b. ~he appellant theref0re ~ruy~ th~t his ap~e~l be all0~od, the cGnviction abuinst him ~u~shetl ~nd the sentence thereof set ~siCe. v.nu cunse¼uently thefefore he be rc:leased. ~h~ short.hi$tGry 0f th<:: c~~~ us correctly restated by.the leclrne~ ~t~te Att0rnc:y, Mr. Komeye, i~ ·th~t the a~pellant wit~ six. others, exclu~inG une ~atric hnthony antl 2nLther ~0rsun by the name uf .uv.kv.ri wh(DJ]1 the c.:.pr,ellant is cL:..irnini_" were the G\-.rners of the stclen vehicle, were cho.rietl with the ofit:.:nce 9f roL~ery• with vicl0nce c/s 2t5 ~ne,; 2b6 uf the ~enal Coue. rhey were nlso ch~rtc:u on the sea0n~ c0unt with unliwfully ulterin~ bnt c:,.ffixinc iuenti1ication rnbrks un & motor vehicle c/s 11(4)(&) ~f tte ~r~ffic hct, ~a. 30 of 1973. The ~rosecution fLlileJ. tu establish tbEt the appellant and his co- o.ccusetl ~i~ rub the SLliu mut0r vehicle at tun point. The leLrned rt~Eiuent Na~istrate ~lsu fuun~ them not tuilty on the s~c0nJ count. hcwever; the triul flk;.t...,istr.:..te fuun~ the 1:tflkl &nt e,uilty of bein 1~ in posBession or h~vinL contrGl of a pro1>~rty which w'-"s ruason&bly sus- pcctcu to huVE:: Leen ob±ainecl or unla~Jfully r. . c'-.luired. 1-1lthouLh the · cumil'-"in~n~ fail~~ tu iuentify his ass~il~nts who robLe~ him of the s~iu motor vehicle, the f~ct still remi:..i~s thu.t he w&s rob-eel of his motor vehicle at ~un point. The a~~ellant was cunvicted of unlcwfully i,;osoes&ion c-:n'-' Wc-S sentt=nc0u tu seven ye~-rs imi,risonmcnt rer,a.r{l ~1u.vint, Lieen l,iven to the nJi:,,nn(:;r the 1nutor vt.::lncl<:: w<.ts tc.ken frun th.;; c0mpl~inu.nt ~w.3. ~his motor vehicle wus stolen un 2~th July, ljLG u.nu rvi .3 rel'orted the rctuery to the police,. vn 9th Septemt0r, lS,•0G l,,~ .1 w"'s ti1,>pecl th...,.t · the rob bell rn0tor veh-icle w:.,s seein1__ tlriven ci:ii,l:y i:..nu uruu 11t to a co.r J:.iUrk "'-t the flc::.ts nc~;r Fi.re i.Jr.i[~&J.e premises an:~ • C, th~t the numbers on the motor vehicle pl~te &ppe~red fak\d., th~t is1 ~~ 7033b. h police teum consistinL of ~w.l, ~w.4 anu ~w.6 went in ~ursuit 0f the rnot0r vehicle~ ihey s~w the s~iu motor vehicle. Gn th&t s&me ~uy the &ppellant ~~sin the house of ~W~9 who is the resiu.ent ·of the flats l.,uiL. . inG ·uf the N0tic.,n"'l i1uusint _Curi.,orL:.ti.on • .'fhe tri~l cour.t 1:1c;.s tc,lu Ly th0 pc•lice witnesses tha.t wh0n the ·C,Vice- ll~rit c~me frum the hcuse of t'W.~ he S&W one 0f the police ctetecti~c~ whcm he knew ~uite well, anu se~int this, the nppell~nt· <.leci~ed to uivc::rt. h_oweve.r, as the pulice huJ. be<:::n tipi:,ec; t'hc...t the appellc.nt w'-"s 'the 0ne wh0 usc:c:. tc., Lrint., the motor vehicle uncl }_.)e,,.rkE:<.l it thE:r0, ..::eciueu t0 fol1ow thE: ai,1-,ellc:..nt cin,:,_ ::.0t him in b hcuse belun,·in~, t:.., -- . _.... - ._·. - 4 - investit., .... t(ju th;:; Cc.Se .uisc0ver2u th--,t tlH.: insur'-'-nce stiaker wD.s ot tc'mpereu with Ly hc.,vinGLruLLed off. 'l'hc cor,1i-,L"'inc.. nt, · .t'l/1 .3, vn:s c..,..l~•-C.., he l,rvu1.:,r1t his r0l,isbi..-tivn cc:...rc. anu the insur.:..nce clvcum"nts. '.Lh;_; r"--t.,istr'-tion c&rc:. Wi..-S r1;o .... c:.in1.:S' 1 TL>740S16 11 • 'l'he _nurnters cm the encine c,n .. -c~~sis tbllied with thos~ i-,rescribed.0n the reListi·.tiun c~rtl ~nf insurunce cover. These ~Gcumc'nts were tentl~reG ~n~ ~umitted in Cvurt i..-S exhi0it ~-5 2n~ ~.6 respectively. The nuruLer ~lc..tes on the veh1clu wherr seized Ly the pulice at the fire fl&ts re~~ ~Z 70336. ~s the numbers on the chasis ~nu en~ine of thut·motor vehicle t&l~ied with those shvwn on the insurance cover &nJ r"'bis1ri..-tion c~rd, automatically it Wc.1.ScP.<llc::t.u'-'eci thc.t the motor vehicle in ...,uestie,n wcs the 0!1e ruLi..,ed_ -.f fr0m ~n-3 unJe~ cun point, where~s the numbers on the i-,1'-'-tes wh~n seiz~G uy the ~vlice were f~ku4~ 0nes. The' sn'-L th,.;...t dfveloped wus tt1ut ·wlnle th1:: c~lse w,.;...s still penJ.inc, in cvurt th<:: :r,;clice r . ,turned the m0tor vehicle to J:'vv.3. 'l'he. f:_J~@J). _.. 1,l,__te nurr1b(,rs wr~re r,,mov,-,cl frc,rn the mtitor v~hicle and the i-,rupcr ones uffix~~ t0 enable the com~l&J~ant, ~w.3, to use the mutor vehicle, the cuse in c0urt not withst~ndinL- 'rhe fc.,,_.::kfe . d-' pl...:.te num1J~rs were £;.lsG tenllcred in court i:,.S exhiLit 1:'o~o the motur vehicle' with its neal numbers wus tc'naerea us exhi~it ~-i- ~w.9 whu is tne a~pell~nt's friend tulJ the court th~t he w~s the one who intr0uuced the OfJ_.,ellant to the w...:.tchm-n (~w.b) to allow him p~rk the c0.r there • It wus the eviuent1:: of ~Wo0 th&t the uppell&nt We,.~ .r·rcm the clLvve f ....,cts, there vi..:,s therefc.re stronc evi(-'.ence from flJ,, b "'"nu rrio9 thc:...t th<:; a1;i:,ellc..nt "was in the lJOSsessicJn of the vi·olently rc,:.,,.,e~ motor v1::hicle. '.l.'he learned ~ksiclent J.vl'-'-t;istru.te, no J.oubt, wus riLht when he fvun~ the appell~nt not tuilty uf rol:.,~ery &t tun point as ( the eviuence l.::;.ckeu sup1-1ort of -thE:: ch""re-e, thc,. t is offence no-t 1-,roven , (~lthoµLh he miGht have comraitted the offence). hs there w&s no eviu.ence to i,rove th...:.t the E:.lJl.eLant w~s ]_.,resent &t or ,durint, the rouLery &t ~un point, it c~n Sbfely be st~tea th&t the leurned triul i'letc,istr .... te :J,!rOp8rly convicteC::. the nppell"'-nt of the &.lt,·rnc.-t:i.ve convictio1: for ~eint. fuunti in possession vf stolen l-1roi,erty. This f~ct is- furth~r uem0nstr-teti by the ai-,~ellant's own u~ruission ~t pci~e 25 of the ~roces- uinL_s wnen he t olu the trie..l court thc-t .he Wc.,..S the on<:: who wus uh1c..ys ~~rkinG the mot0r vehicle gt the pl~ce the police f0unct it. The tri&l m.:..Listr~te corrdctly 0bserv<::tl from the c'Viuence~ that the np~ellant h~~ ~amitted th"'"t the finLcr print impressiuns faun~ on the b0~y of th~ car t.;y the fintyr print E::Xpert were those of the ai.,i,,ell_nnt o 'l'her6' w&s therefore only cme ½.uesti0n ...:.t the triul, &nG. on my·-i-,art in this appe~l, 1 muint~in th~ s~me '1.uestion, ~nu th~t is, whether the upp0l~~ct - 5 - who W,c,.S ... undoubtc::lJ.ly . '! fcnin,!'.., jn. p0;R~.r.aR.inu uf tJ,,,,. ,.:c•mpl, ..in,·.nt. 1 :-: v_.:,r,ir-li:, . :. . ' . . . ., , , w~s uni of the armetl robbers. hS it hus been J:.,Ointetl out above that ~ue~ti0n was faun~ in the neiutive by the triul court antl as I have· s&iu th~t wus a correct finGinL• Frum what I huve s~itl above I ~m Scttisfied b(;;yuncl scintillu of Joubt th::..t. this o.j,.,i. e..:.tl is with-cut mer:_: unu therc::furt: it must fu.il. 'l'he O.J:.,1,eu.l is . <.lismis, dcl in its ent ir\::t/ ._ 'l'he sentence is fair o.r1ll just in view of the nc:. ture u.l'.!J circumstonc<..- ,; uf th~ c~~e~ and ~u r·hu.ve no re~sun to interf~re with the sent(::nc0~ _iav~-,e-...._.- Co 'JVf 1-.i;f✓i;., - 1-'i~Ivi .t-l o EXTENi.,i!;i.r J'U.t,fo1.1IC'l1 luN 23 - 12 ~ l<;;ud J~~ 6 ment delivered at 1.1ar es bal&u.m 23rJ 1.1ecember, 190b. h~~ellctnt - present in person Mr. Kyuki - for ·the hepublic _present. 1.,A h .b /j .S.i-1.L,1.11.lYJ. 23r~ 1.Jecember 2 19G0 ( ' J