19871127 TZHC Dar es Salaam

'l'EE UlH'l:ED REPUBLIC OF TAN.7,ANIA DT 'l1IJE HIGH COURT OF Til..NZ.ANL';. ,.IJ,!J: D.Ait ES SAL11.Al'/1 APPELL.\'11E JUD.ISDICTION HIGTI COORT CTI.IMilJAL APP."'dU, NOo 129 OF 1987 OH.IGilTAL Cr..TIU.NAL CASE NO. 145 OF 1987 OF THE DISTRIC'11 COlJR'r OF' IL.ALA DISTHIC'l' A'l' KIVUKONI ~IAG.1:'\..,_""l"Gl. PET.RO • • o • • .. • • 0 0 0 , 0 • ·• • • APPELLJl.J'.rT (ORIGINAL ,1CCUSED) versus 'l1IIB utHTED nEPU'.JLIC ~ 0 0 0 0 0 0· 0 0 • • ~ o o IIESPONDENT ( aB.IG TIJAL PROSECUNiLl) ~ Stealing from the pe:rBon of o.notheJ: · o/s 269 (a) of the Penal Code~ J U D G M E N Ts ~ g.umo..2. J. The appellant ~U...G~UifGA PIDITW was convictecl of' stoe..lin[(' f:rom the :person of another contrary to section 269 (a) of Penal Code ·by the District Goud of' Ilala at Kivukoni (J.Viandaw2, D.ivr. )o Ho was sent0nc0d to irap::r.·isorunent fo1~ tl.u•00 years following his convictiono Tio wa,o agcTieved b;y· the comriction and sentence n.nd is now ap1)0aling to this 001:cd. Tbree witnesses testified for tho :prosecution. These wore c.8148 D/c Metasu (PW.1 ) 1 tho police officer who was 2,ssi.:,"l'.1od to L11vostig'8,to tho case? Neoma Hamiclu (PW.2), tho complainant, c:md Ihssan M:r.,.linm (P'i!.3)., Tho complainant told tho trial magistrate th2,t she wn.s 0, wai t:coss 1-d.th IIDW since 1983. Sho □ aid she resides at K,.i,:riakoo? Iya,o St:r-oot, House No.11 hero in the Cit;? of Dn.r os Salaam. On 26., 0 87 she wont to wm•k v;t tho L."'i"TJI Ll.t 8030 p.m. Sho signed off o,t 6.30 in the morning on 2701.87,. On hex way homo from work along Morogoro/DWT i1o.:1.d two 1J00:plo jo5.3'.1-0d hor1 one of them passed her, tho other wr.,,s behind hor and. she w2-s in tho miclcllo. Thon tho one in front of hor d:roppod money., When sho ( tho complain,.w"lt) w2.ntod to pick it tho one who was behind, who l:',tor boca:no the nccusod in this case, ht.u,"':i?iod up and picked. tho money. Tho compl:1ino,nt m.:,,icl in her evidence before tho t:rictJ. mng-istro,to that when sho · t-.riod to co,11 tho ono who had dropped tho money tho n.ccusod/appollant toid llor not to do that. ]10 told her to instead follow him to a plQ,cO nom~ by - at the come_try to sl.1c.'l:t.'o out the money. 'l1lt0 complnino.,nt sc.1.id s}10 :followori him to tho cor.10mry at Kisutu1 but on getting tb.01'0 they mot f'om' other· people who claimed to bo policemen., , Those pooplo told tho complnina..nt and tho r..ppellant tht.'1.t ono of' t'.1em b.c.'ld dropped his money and thoy woro sm~o tl:mt tl1oy ( tho ap110lla.nt tw.d tho complrdnant) 11.1.d. picked it. .:.. 2 - .c complo..inant testified tlli1 t by then, tl10 monoy th.oy lw,cl picl-cod wc,s ,'li th tho appellant. Thoso four }.)Ooplo demL1,ndod to to givon their r.10ne;y., The 0:Qpollant br.mdod ovoi, t~10 raonoy to them., Thon they 11skod if they ( thq D,p1,ollant and tho con,11laimmt) . had more money in their pockets. Th0 oomplni...'1.8.nt toFJtif'iod thn.t s~1e s2,17 tho np:pellcmt hmidinc; , i'); ,me!. o:f ,r,1onoy to thorn., Ho also ,:1u:;.~1'cnderod to tliom a m'.'ist v-n:-,tch. Thon they tu.rnod to tho complaim,nt;; t:1ey sea:,:,c!·,od her and found 1000/=o They took ito rr1110y ,;,lGo, so the coHplninant tostifiod~ took her oarinG <-1,.,nd a wrist- WD,tch. Tl1on they sr.d.d tlloy were 5iving her 15 9 000/= in n buncUo wre,ppod in o., :pa1J0r bag., Sho Si,,:.id tlloy told hor it wv,s h,J!' rmmrd for liolping thom to arrest tho r..ppolla.nt who had picked tho rnonoy which one of thom hn,d clroppcc1., Tho told_ her that they would i:"loot hOI' at lf.tno..zi ~frnoja whoro thE:iy woulcJ. rot,xrn to give back to hoi, tho itolils they h&l taken from hero The complaino.nt then wont on to testify n,s follow-sg- "I Wc1S forcocl to loc,vo them for my hono,. On my 1-ro..y l:.omo I found tlmt tho po..por bag wn.s full of ol1i ts (torn DD 1)0}.""' ) J.: ".i: - • I 1-m,s not i:iysolf tll:cOU[{l10ut this opioodoo I founcl r,iysolf a.long Livingstone Stroot., Il;y· eoocl luck I mot tho accuoocl . with the otltor :fo1.ir mon (pu:rportocl policoL1on - including the a:.'1..n lTho cb.•op1;od_ tho so 00,llod parcel of raonoy) o Who:r.i. I :ro oo- gniso tlm~- I hn,cl boon sobbed of my m.O;1oy 1.Jy tho a.ccusocl in conspirr.-,c;y with tho four rn,1.1.--po1·tocl polic0a0n, I shoufod 2,tninst them, "Thieves, thieves - thiovos 0 11 I took hold of tho 0.001..1.secl while I sl10utecl Mwizi ( thiof ngninst him,. 11 Sho (tho complo,inant)':"told tho trial couxt in ho:c oviclonco tJJnt followine hor shouting, nany poo:plo rospondodo Tho 0,ppollr:mt s~10 s2,id dropi)od her 1mtch - which !1c\Cl boci1. to.ken by tho fom pooplG in tho group nt Kisutu 0 Cor.1otryo Pooplo contjnuocl to inc:roo,Go c.,ncl t:1oy st2.rtorboati+J8' tho 0,,ppollc:J.nt., Tllo other four: poopJ.o h1a1'1.t"gccl to f'loo., As tho m:oucl wo.s in:flictinc;- 11oc:~ting·s on tho apl)Ollm1t ho r.i.Emae,od to floe :for sc:d'ot;y in n noi 0 hbouri:t1e;' :;,10usoc- Thc:~t house tu:mod out to be tho.,t of PH.3,. Ho locked h:iJn::-;oJ.1· in th0xo until t!10 polic0 m·rivocl. They m~:r-ostud ldi::! nnd took l1iD to th0 police station at Msinbczi. Under cross-ox,,,,11inn.tion by tho ay:polL::mt, t:.x: oor.1plci.nrn.1.t ste..tod the,t it wns ho1° fiJ'.'st ti::10 to soo tho o,p:l?olle,nt on 27 .1087., She f1xcthor 11 1 lm.d loGt ny- sonsos when I was locl to thc1 coi:1et:ryo '111:to accused o..skod w;,otho:c I wo,s o., Chr,[l.:!:', c,:r. Pc,ra.., I so,id. tho lri,ttoi' trilJo (pc~r·o),. Tho ncm.mocl wns·also n Pc-,roo IIo started to cliscv.ss with ir:rp2,ct infJ:i;~onc:ing in Kiparo J.oo..rnt the.. t tho a.ccusc:i ,ms chit in;,:; uo., Ho ur,s n, thief o - 3 - _hose uoro .their t:rfoks of inf'lucncin:3 OT enticing pco1,)lo whoD they want .to 1~01~ or otoe..l fror.1 then., I wns 2, victin of those tricks ori t]10 ne..tori.::.l do..y. I was lucky to uoot tho nccusod D,rnl wo nrrostod }:liu, honco this c1.1rG·go o..t,uinct hir:i. n PW&3 tostj_fioc1 to tho a1)pol1,"J.nt runn:i.n,'.;' into his houso f:coi".l e, me\i. of pooplo. Ilo stotod th,,t ho llacl. loft his house to c;o out 11 fo:;,~ n · :sho~:'t call", 1 Ilo ;.'.[1.,Cl loft tho cloor of hio hoUBo Oi:xm. W:.1on ~10 u;:.~s rotu:r.·ning to tho hou130 ho wo.r::: sv.rp:r·isod. to soo t:.1:::-,t ;_-., aob of pooplo ho,d conversed tho:ro. Tho j)COJ)lo in tho f:l.OD wuro sl.~outinc 11 thicf 11 • Ho sci,icl ho was told tha,t n t):liof h::.u.l nm into hiFJ hoTusa to seol<:: ro~"'i"O and he-"..Cl shut b.insolf in t!10:rn. Ho Si.,icl ho w2,s told. t)mt thcJ thief hP,d. stolon a watch froo 2, girl· o:i.~ wor:io.n., Ho said. t'.:,.o nob wnntocl to fo:rco tho d.oo:r open ns they we,ntocl tho thiof to bo lJon,ton., Tio (PW• 3) wo.,s ru:C',,;j_c.l of t!.10,t o.,nd ho rosistcd. Policcnon WO'.i.'G called. ·whon they cnrao 9 thoy ·9p0ncd tho c1oor ,.mcl took t:.10 ii:ppello.nt r:-~·0E1 :.,.io house. Unclor Cross- GXc.."\L"'linn,tion :::i,m1 Ro-ox,_"'1nination 9 t':lis is how PH.3 tostifiods- 11XXD by tho o,ccus0d: It wo.,s PU.II w~·to so,id th::ot tho o..ccu.sod }c.c"'.,S stolm1 ho:r i-rrist-wi..1,tcb.., I aslcod. PW. II how 001:10 tho 2.cousocl stole hor m1tcl1. P:·1o+I l1erself so..id tlJr:t in f2.ct sLo know tho accused. s:i..1100 October, 19860 Tho e;irl, F~i.II 9 :fu:rth0r said t'..i.:i.t :i.t Wc~s not n w,:1tcl.l :which tho r.i,ccuDod l:J:1s stolon., She l.lrv1 jUBt rn::,clo up 0, sto:i:y 7mt t~1e o.ccu.aod heel clop1 isod ].10r of :.,er 1 s~1s • 1200/ = which she Jm,d 3ivcn tho accl.wou. to buy hm~ batteries 6 PW.• II sJ.1owcd tl,.e _police 0, vT.i. ist WE•.tch wU.cJ.1 s~10 1 vrrai>pcd in her hanclcorchief'• The wr~tcll uo..s tho 0110 w!:iicb. we.,s 2.llegcd to lmvo boon r1tolon 1)y tho c,ccusoc1• ,. _filg)_ _P.fl It is true tho.t tho victin PW .II src",icl tho cccused had not stolon ho~,:• wc~tch l)ut she ho..J. a. qu.D.J.."".rul ui th t::.,c 0,ccus0d. over ho:c Doney sl'J..s., 1200/:;;:,. wl.ioh sho gnvo tho c1ccusod. In f:1ct what I :'i.1rwo ck,tccl to tho cout is po.,rtly true nnd pr.~:dly untrue. I did not toll tho police when ny st2-, tcDont .wn,s ooing to.ken clovm~ tl.:,a t tho c;·i:cl, FW.-1 told r:10 tl.:u1t sho lnd c., qu.'1J'.'rol before with tho c~ccu.sod over hcJ:- shso 1200/= for buying bo.,tterioso I dicl not tell tho police thc.t PH.1 was just cookine 0,llocntions ngninst tho o.ccusodo It is true thn.t F,l'.II told no th.r:,t she wo.s only cookil1G timt ovidonoo thr.,t ho:r• w2-tch 1:,acl boon sto],on by t:10 ['.,CCUSOdo PW., II tolc1 1:-to all this when we he.d. o.lronc.1y token ou:r stc. to::ionts downo Wo wo:ce on our way hone. 11 ..,. 4 - In hiG dofonco, wb.ich ho Dc'-do on oe,tll 9 tho np:poll[mt confiJ. fa1ed, 0 ...n }?,:i.rt 9 whnt PW.3 tostificcl under cross-0};:c·--x.d:1.o,tion.. IIo stc:fod thrc.t he '.:t&l k:no-i-m tho cor:1plo..i,J.1D.,nt since 1986. Ho so,icl in 0ctoboJ7 of tl.::.:.,t yo2,r tho con:plninant wont to hin o,t fllku..'tleuni/Nyaa,mzi Sti·oets lookinc fo:r radio kdtcrios. Sho nskocl hin if ho ooulcl l1ol1) her witll lx::ttories •. Ho said ho tolcl her tho.t ,{ho lk.1.d· :.pil011ty of thor.1. Ile clo,iuod t]1c•,t he lmcl ±'our boxes of 1x~tt01.'ios then. The coL!pl.:1,ina.nt bought out o,11 of thoD. Sho then nskod M.r.1 if ho could koop hor □ Oi:lc if ho 0,ot 1.101'0 lnto:r. Ilo 1 tho 2,ppell2.nt 9 ·sc.id. in his oviclonco tl.nt J..o n0 ~cood.o IIo ::;e,icl t:.to coD:plo,in:.:mt thon loft hiu sl.!.S • 1200 / = for thon ( tl:..o lx, ttcJ~•ios) o Eo s2,icl they ac;:;:occL f:corJ usci,ngio Ho so,irl tho com:pla.incmt p:couisoc.l to rotUi:n on r., lr,tor clo.,to. Sho o.lso shovrod hiu wb.oro her rosiclonco wns - in Ko,ri0koo c.:coc.. Ho s;;j_cl after th.:.1,t ho r.inn::i,gocl to got bo,ttories f:'.nd kopt thou :for tl:;.o cowr>lr'..iru:mt but because 210 lu.1.d. fo:r 0 ottcm llor rosicloncos t.e docidocl to sell then to othor peoploo IIo, tho ::-:,p1iellcmt, tI~on to:citH':Lod 2,s follmrng- "Thon on 27. ·1 .,87 r.t nbout 9.00 :PoL1• w·1.2on I wc,s ou EJy w,,,y fror.t J:lr'..nzoso c.1,long Livingstone Stroot :..,ore in D::-,,:.c o::.i S"'ln,i:'.,;:-.1, I 1'.2-p:ponocl to soo tho girl conpl1-1,in2,nt 11!,To 1 tilso s):o wns on hm: wrw coins to hc:r plo,co 9 o::i: fj.:on sonm/..,_oro fo:r c, town walk., She soonorl to bo su:rp:1:isod to soo r.10 v,fto1~ o, lon[', tino cinco wo 1::st ::1ot fo:::· our p:1:oiJ.is0s of cott:Lnc !:or battorios., Sho otr.J:-tod oonpJ.0,in:i..11(; tltc,t sLo :~-.o.<l not boon sooin:C,' ;-.10 r.•,t Dy l)lt'-co of l~v.::.d.nosi;io W0 wo:ro tc,lking in Kiparo lGJ1GuJ:1,~;o • f:>h~) c1ccusocl ;.10 of chor,I; ir-L£; Lo1• cm.cl clo 1)1' ivin!..'.,· l-,01~ o:f hu:r' sL~1. 1200/ :a: oaGll whic!.1 o 1.\o ont:rustod to LlO fo:r b1.-1,;Til'l[s· ho:r bc.1,ttor:i.000 I tolcl hor th2:t I \GiL ·c.mi tcd t·o:r hm.' for! t'.. lone ti::10 c,nd I docidod to soll ·ho bt.:.ttm·:i.os. '11hon PW. I uc-,n i.1clvisocl to shout C,C,0,inst DO t:1.01·0 rnlll tllon, 11 thiof ', tl1io:f Jn PH. I pickocl c~ bottle n,m}. hit r.10 witL it on ny hoo,cl. I hc'1.Cl no v.l torn2-tivo 1JUt to nm frn.· S.'.',foty. I onto:rod. r., nocrby houso for L1y lifo" • Tio ( tho r.ppellnnt) thon nc..rratocl how lto souc_:;ht :rofuc;o in tho :ioi1S0 until when tho police Lirriv0d r.,nd took hi1:i to the police Stc,tion., ' lio sc1id th8 cc;:1plr..,imnt showocl ho1~ H[',tch to tI:o :police 2,:n.d. allogocl. tha,t ho b.o,d. stolon it ±':ron hoJ.'o Under cross - o::ic:~~.1ir12, tion :.10 testified tlla t ho crn:10 to know tho ccr.1plninv,nt wl1on she uont to hiD to look for n,ncl ln.iy "tmttorios nt ~,is plv,co of uo:dc. Ho ztc1tocl also tJ.12,t ho 1mc1 not 2,r1.'C'...".l.[;'Od with PW.,3 to cook up ovidonc0 for hir:i cmcl turn l.toGt:i.lo to tho prosecution. - 5- On tho 8,bovo oviclonco tl:10 lo:".J:'nocl District Me,.:;istco,to conv:Lctod 10 appolll',nt of sto"1.linz f:roD tl10 )o:;.~son of o..not:·wr oont1°ary to section 269 (n) of t;:).O Pon:,,l Cod.o 0,0 r.,li~cc-ely slwm.10 I,tco Muocnc1o..n 9 102,:mocl oov.nsol for tho [.1}?~JOll0-nt, hc,s ohD,llonC,"ocl t;:10 conviction of tllo 0,11pollmlt of tlmt offence on this ovid.onco., In tJ:.o fi:cst e,-:;:·01..1.J1J. of o,pj:ioal in t:10 poti tion of 0,:plJQZ'..l llo l:ns sto,todg- ;i 1. Tho loo..rnocl Ni:13·ist:r::-,to o:r:cocl both in lo..w rn1cl fo,otfJ in convictin_-; tho O..lJl"10lh~nt wJ;on tLo ovidonco clooB not ost,:-,,blisl:. r.,n offonco undor section 269 of tho Pom.._,l Coclo. :i c,J?JUOtl tb.o.t tho stm:·;y- c,r.:i nc:J::ratcd 1:ly the con:/Lr:.:Ln::mt dioclosocl, if it is a t:ruo stoI'Y, tho offonco of cl1oa,ting unclor section 304 of tho P0m1l Codo 9 n,ncl not sto:'-ling frou the: por::1on of nnothor·~ +n ro:rily, Mr. Kono;:,ro 9 Stato Attoj::no;y- 9 for tl:co :::tepubl:i.c· 0-t first n1·e,uocl in support I of tho conviction :fo:r sto2.lins f:,:·0::1 tho 2;:c:r'son of m1othor. On c., cm1siclorr',- tion of tho provisions of i:motion 269 (n) of' t~10 Ponr'.,l Coci.o, hmmvO:i:', ho car.io rounc1 to not suppoi~ting tho conviction :for th,7,t offonco .. J 1-Tith rospoct, t::.i.o oviclonco clooG not ,-::,t r,11 cU.:::.:oloco tho offonco of :Jtor:~linc f-..:'.'on tho porr1on of :::.not:'::.o~eo If tJ:1c story w:i n;::"J:·:,:c'.,tod. 1)y tJ.10 cor::q1ls.innnt io crocliblo it d.isclosos t;.10 o:ffc.mco of c).10,,,tj_n3 contr.:-,J.'Y to section 304 of tho Ponr.,J. Coc:.c, 2,nc7- ;:10t stm1,l:Lnt; f:r·or,1 t:to po:.:Bon of ,.mothor. Fo:r thin 1·oason tho conviction of th0 D.};J:;)O]J.D,nt of tl:d.o l,~ttor offonco· w.:i.o OJ:I'Ol10 OUS o Tho next quo;:Jt:Lon fcrc consi(k:,:n.t:Lr;n c.,nc1. clotorninn.tio:n in 1;)_10thor tho cor.1ylr,in2.nt I s stor;y- is c:rnd:i.'blo o Both J.on,:i.'nocl counsal o...~:r-oocl bof'o:ro no t!.1t1,t tho C~L'ocUb:i.lit3r of t~10 con1::,l0,inrmt 1s sto:cy wc::.G sm·iov.sl;y woclconod by tho oviclonco o:f P'l'Te 39 Hassan Ha,linD,o ''.Phis wi tnoss oloc,:rly tostifiocl c.g::,inst w!mt wc..s :::i,llot,'Ocl by tho oon:plr.cin::,nt. Sm·prisincly, tho prosecution dicl not sook to tr0rit hiu ,1:-J 0, >ostilo witness. Su-cprisirl.C'l1still 9 t:.::.o lon:rnod trinl r:u::;,1ist:;_,,....,to novor consiclm::ocl :.1:i.s in his jud.grn011t> oviclonco / ono 1./;2,y m:: t2:o otLoI', c,l th..:ll-¼'.)1 it w::\G en 1. 000:ccl, GO:d.0U.0ly 0 a,ncL au.vorooly 2,ffootinz tho p.1~osocution cc,r::o. I .:-•n certain thc,t L::i'.. t)10 lom::nod D.D,c;ir.itr::i,to consiclorod Pl'T.3 1 s ovi<'Lonoo 9 ho woulrl not hcwo found tho co::.1plr.dn,c,nt 1 o story crod.iblo 0,t ::i,11~ 'rhcit oviclo.noo :roml.erocl t).10 conplnirn:mt 1 s oviclonc:o wholly unwort1.1 of' '!x,ltof~ For tho.t ror:won it c.loos not oven p:rovo t:10 offence of cl10C'..ti;·l(; 0,:.,·cdnst tho n.1)pollnnt. I find thoroforo t!J.nt tho c..p1l0llr.,nt 1s nppo:il ltns a. lot of Do:i:'ite~ I o,llow it, qUc...,sh his conviction o..nd sot r.,sido tl.:c sontcnco of tlrroo ,9n I cliroot tl.ct ~10 ho :colm.1,sod f'::con j2.il ir:u::iodin- ir.1:pr·isormont ioposoc}' llir:.1" toly unless !10 is Lolcl. thoro for cmot~10]:: l,;~wfu.l 02-usoo Dolivo:rocl t:t.is 27tL dny of Novou"boJ:, 1987 in t!io :prosonco ol' f'tl'.'o Km:10;-,ro, AT DAR ES SAL,.\AJ:.1 27TIT N()V»IBER , ·1 987