19791011 TZHC Dar es Salaam

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF TANAN IA

AT DAR ES SALAAM

APPELLATE JURISDICTION HIGH COURT CRIMINAL APPEAL NO0 120 OF 1979 ORIGINAL CRIMINAL CASE NO. 1216 OF 1978 * OF THE DISTRICT COURT OF DAR ES SALAAN DISTRICT AT KISUTU Before S. J. Bwana, Esq., Resident Magistrate SAIDI SALUM ALLY 0 00 0 0 • 0 0 0 0 • 0 0 •0 0* 0 0 * * • 0 0 • • APPELLANT versus THEREPUBLIC ..e.. 00000000000.000*600000.0 •0006 RESPONDENT Charge: Obtaining goods by false pretences contrary to Section 302 of the Penal Code0

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JUDGEMENT MAKANE, J. This appellant was sentenced to be jailed for five years following his conviction for Obtaining by false preterices. His appeal to this Court was conducted by Mr0 Haule, learned advocate, whose effort was vigorously countered by Mr. Huka, learned attorney for the Republic. In July, 1978 the appellant and a man called ATHUMANI SOLO, who gave evidence as Pwl. at the trial, transacted in cattle. Solo lives up-country and he would bring with him to Dar es Salaeni, and sell at a place called Mabibo, some cattle. On this particular occasion he brought with him, on 1st July, 1978, seventy nine head of cattle, and on 9th July he found a uitable customer for the beasts. This customer was the appellant. The province is common ground that the price was Sh. 1,400/= for each beast, so the total sum payable was Sh. 110,600/=; and that the appellant tendered in payment a post-dated cheque for 13th July, 1978. There is also no controversy but that on the due date, when the complainant Solo presented the cheque for payment at the bank, it bounced - it was endorsed 'Refer to Drawer,' for lack of sufficient funds. A charge of Obtaining was eventually preferred against the appellant and this led to his conviction. Quite a number of issues were raised at the hearing of this appeal, including .also rival claims as to how many animals the complainant removed from the appellant's

cattle-pen when he failed to get the cash he had expected to receive on the cheque. For reasons whch will shortly become evident, it is unnecessary for me to traverse most of the area of the learned argument covered. The learned trial magistrate tried hard to reach the conclusion that the appellant committed an offence, and succeeded in convincing himself that the appellant's conduct indicated an intent to defraud. -paspalai eq qMqtO; pnoqs eq Apoqsno u -c Anptt estm.xe40 ;ou sT 4u2 TIeddpaqq ji °epo pup ezue;ues qq4 qpTsp 3s pup 'UOflDTAUOD aq4 qsnb I °iedd eq Mo --re At 5uTp1oD I O54Z aDuaggo eq: J0 JITfl 6 sT ;uTedd est5W Uep5I PauJPaT 9 q4Aq peqDa.t UOTSnTDUOD etfl qoeaj o; aqun wp I 'peorib I saTqTjoqqnp Dqq 1q pepq pu 'flO qas aAvq I SUOS- tO - ATTeuTwTaD 4suTp5ppepeeod uiiedde e94 9AP4 UPql JD44Pa APeUJZ TTATO P qqbnos eiq pnoqs isia6upi4s wo.; senbeq pep-.sod 5utde3 ;o kxeM a.iow eq pnoqs ATIP4uaPTDUT 0 4m 'uuTIdwoz eq; 'St quasaid 04 6UTPJODD72 4Pqq MA I21D aqq JO UIP I •eSI; 4D; UT SM 4T4M 'D Uese.d ;o uot;uesedax 'eb -çA flbUflD 4p ajam peueseidei Xaq4 qDTqm set4qoTo Aiut6puit aq4 io; =/000' -t *4S peAteDax pu ;uu-cIdwoD aqq o4 seq;or puL4-puODeS Iles 0; pe3axUO3 squpTladdp eazq; eq; pe;tD esz eq; UI •axeq ;uod eq; e; - nb ;ou ST 4 2 q4 ;nq 'MDI pOob .Lxn; UT T UOTTSOdO.ld tPT4M l aouaqaad asia; to; A4TTTqPTI IUTU1 WD eAt;Efeu ;ou seop ets ;o joea4uOD R ;o Bzue;stxe

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0461 'DrIfld21 A ivciv ;o aseo eq; pa4TD A14de e -jnPH rw °sçq; ;o ;ioddns UT se' T.Xoq;nP ;o doiD e5i p sr axeq; pup pepnixa St axn;n; eq; o; sp eDue;erd y ;ueseid Io ;sd ie44 -çe 1 , ;; ;o ueeq eAq ;snui ; 'epoDued eq; ;o JOE uo -r;3es ;o sPJOm eq; uç ';nq esi; Atuo ;ou SPM qDTqM eue;axd p go p sp aT44eD eq; peuqo aApq ;snw eq eUIT pe;; -puuJoD eq o; uiq .o; ;q; sç mQT eq; Pup 'enbeqD oq; penss -r pu alqqpoeq; peuP;qo luelTadde eq; ewl; eq; qp SPM ;2 T2UTwTJD Pa 69 TIP eqi, ;JPaID e; -çnb sT ;uewn&P ;q; o; aamsup eq; (UTq; I ';DedSax ;ax6 41M 1 patfl0u0q eq pno /009 4 0ht qS go enbeqD eq; ;q; se os Aeuow ;ue -tt;;ns pe;Tsodep eq o; ;q5no eq TIT4S tenbeqD 4pq4 6UTTZM ;o DwT4 @q4 qp spun; ;ueTDT;;ns 0u eeq PTnoo pesn eq. q6noq; ueie ;q; 4upew 1 anbaqo pep-;sod bunss -ç 4uvTTaddp eq; ;q; panbap eH -3- ) There is this issue of thirty-sixhead of cattle, valued at Sh. 50,4001=, which the appellant is alleged to have sold before the complainant went to re-possess his animals following the bouncing of the cheque; and the counter-allegation by the appellant that in fact the complainant drove away more beasts than his own seventy nine0 Reading the evidence on record oneemerges with certain impreøsions ab'out,.the matter but, as I have .'emarked, this is not the right forum0 These matters would best, be sortedout in a civil Court0 I think this is an appropriate opportunity for me

to permit myself. this general observation: thileas a judge I have'to take the law as it i's, I' cannot allow myself not to be concerned with the particular law on the , offence of Obtaining' as it now obtains. '. As Lord Denning characteristically puts it, my approach must not be like that of a mason 'who 'lays bricks without any responsibility for the buildinghe is making, but rather it must be that of a lawyer concerned with his responsibility to the community at large. (Lord Denfling: "From Precedent to Precedent," 1959 Romanes LectUres, ubted by J. A. HILLER, 1 C..,L'Q0 January,, .1978). In the present case my duty is to put aside my own feelings and if I may use Pope John Paul II's expression "I must dominate myself," but my equally important responsibility 'is to point out that the authorities concerned may wish to amend.Section'301 of the Penal Code in such a way as to remove the present deljerate, omission of a representation as to the future, so that Courts can convict in apprppriate cases. I am aware that my learned brother' Biron made the saitie suggestion elsewhere as long ago • as November, 19.74. (L. N. MAKANE)

JUDGE

DAR ES SALAAN October 11, 1979