19960409 TZHC Dodoma

I) :nt 1.fl~U:G.'1 WlJ~ Oli' !11.ii}IZANJ:.A AT ,:moMA Ju)l?li!W1.TE JUJTS":)IG'rION - ... ...,,..... •• ..1. OlUGINAL, CfilHil~AL C.ti.SE mo • .lS/!l995 01" '11~IE ')ISTIIT CT COUHT C.::F .,X)l))MA. 11ISTl1IC'? :~T ~ -,OMA; 3.EE'O:IT<! "'l.M. LU:1S.A ES/l '1ISTI~ lllAGISTlli\.TE. TIIE l''lAN.AGETI INNS 01:, J\,l!B.ICA ~ T• "'l• ••• u • •. , • , • .... APPELLANT VEaSUS ·-- .. A~A.I1 NJLJ.11.S •., • •,,,,. • •• • • ••.iES,'l?ON11ffil'f.Ll, In the 1'istrict Court of 1'.>orlor:ia, the .responient was ~ tted of a ~harge of two ~ t s of Dur&lary and Stealing e/se :;,94(1,).- ani •65 . ~ rGSi)ectivel.y _of the Penal ~orle• The trial court w1-s satisfied that the availa~)le evidence iid not establish the prosecution ease against the respondent beyond .,_·ea~onable 1oubt 1 'lliis is an appeal a.6 a.i.nst the fini.ings an1 conclusions of the saii court• Hr, :;·:rpoki lcan1ed ;ounsel arlvooatei. for the appelhmt while the respon-::l_en_t a:L)peared in person in resisting the ~: appeal, Mr, Masajlt learnerl Sta.te Attomcy appeared as aDicuis •uriae anri e;encrally ·subraitted in support of the appellant• s case.• The facts as foun,1 by the trial court 0Gtablished that on l/4/95 the •onplainant (PW l•Yo~~'9-t-Su Set~ Japanese national) arrive1 at "°dor.1a ,·. . and went straight away to-. ):):ioDa ~J,9.tel to look for accoaoiation• A firr:i kno,;n as Im1s of'·,Jurica Ltd(Th<? c1.ppelb.nts) •:Jas n.t the r.1aterial ti,Je nanaginc the S2.i 1. .'fotel I 'I'he .-Io tel 1nmc1,gcnant a.ccc,:1-::i ~a.tci thG ec;:1plainant in H.OO)j NC, 83 of the saii ~lotel, On ·V.1G nij.1t of 4/4/95 ho ha-1. Hith bin a sur1 of 'Shs 110,000/= plus 2 US dollars 1 •::;10 curre:ncy nosr1s of shs 110 9000/= w;:=.G:e . in ·1eno1:1ina.tions of shs 1,000/= tiort up tocother ·)y :t"U1)b0r b m1s in hu.1."1.'lles 0 of shs 10 9000/=• :Jefore hG slept. thd nicht he put all the noney u.n:tGr a pillow; an-1 he also 1.:a.-le sure t:r·'.;. ·tJ-w d,)or ,Ia..s clos,;;,J an 1 the roon '.ll"t::l.ins shut, 011 wakinc up at :iround 6 1 30 -"'.• ·, 7 • he no·~cd, to his surprise, th 1t,:the 2 curtains were half ()p~ nni tho baqksii.e 1oor of the roon was also open. ::: J~'-<TI),; ,,...j 'Ull.i~- ---h~'-l: CC\'...::;-\:.hi-ne ~mi.•~-t.-:.» na.,,.,t h.""".u hap:~oa. llG therafo~ cl:wckc-'I his woney an i only -~a. realize that all of it was Di,ssine. IIe ;:ic',i~ a. ~Jeri:. with the IIotel Manager-- one :Mr. Ki'wale, The latteJ: cao.e an i. note1. sor.1e ba:i::e. foote J,J.t.Tn....: i~~-J; . . - ~-:t::r,'Uf v--~n~ ~n.. '?hough no-t statei so speeifi~qllyj the vacmt roan woul i t,ppear to be lJo• 9~ wl~X"Qie,. tha :i::-,:;,spcn.iont. ~.,uJGnplsyee ii ,. . at the :.roteJ.) he.1 slQPt. W.sp.c-?Ut 1ih.:> p.x-..:>...._~ niF;ht.~ ,'..G El'\1C.h tl~ i:~1~-=.t becaI1e a/ cubject of one of the suope-cts. A search for hin (ml'l another ,-,ha was al~~-!da.C,~.--'<l'l.i,.014-~ nrwnte.i!' At the sane:· tine aj report Wa/J o.lso ::1aie ',Ji th the polic~ On ·sea-:i1·t,hiDff t.he. re~o~"l~ ~ ,:,osi ➔P~ . . ~ o!..J. IL'l "la] Ja,;gs was foun i. in a pocket ... to ono of h.irJ ];>.-Ul"' G! tro.users 1ying on a tabl,e while ' a ou.11 o s Shs ll~~/a _in bun i.les ~-,as fou.."14. un io:! a nritress, iUl the abovQ ,:.1oru.7 was ~ lllQ.i ~tu;:-,l~ i ton-J.4L~,: :Jy- 'I"'ffl._.. ~ ,;r:?QQp.nn.ien:b was :::,rreotei <mi w,k.::in.1>:i~ to the =roteJ. where hiG fe8t were fi ttei. to th~ foot,.iri.nte, e,~:u:iruz- 1,n t4_e :t1~on ·pwi hai slept in the previous'. night, Tho bare· footprints in the soii roon talliei with tho ,Je of the resp~ T'~1~1 '1112-= '-'th,;,,-, J.%!QS1=\Ql.l.i:..i..r.ln c~-'lP~ eviien,ing the respon--len~s r~spio~ cordu~ \vas thJ.t containo1 in t.h~ .....'dt iW.4 - E"1lrir1 Ju.baa- to tho off~. that on thG night. of ii1.C.i"l,~t4ai, ~-"1....-4.a,OQ ~ ·hn sn.~ the r,.•spon 1.ent out of hio, roon eonplaininc th ,t he ~~ ·an1 WcLS going out to ·,Juy ;Jona uei.ioin~ Dy this ovi1.en~e the proo8"ution -OQ. boubt wishe'.l to i;1pross upon the t.ial court th,:t the -~1 r:"spon'lent oust have gone out in pursuit of sone sinnister notive connected i,,:i th the charges o,gainGt hin bec3,use '.lt th'.lt rather •H hour of the night no 4.rug store woul-t be open to cell ue1.icine, In his -Iefence the re:spon·'lent a-=tni ttei being an enployee of the sai·1 IIotel, :Ie' also a1ni ttei slGepinG in tl1G Ee tel that iJ.e1,teriaJ. night• :cegar~1inc; the Doney he was searche'.l an.1 founi. with .. his 4.efenoe wao. that it all belongei to hin having realize:! it frou:Jone neat sales• Apparently, he oubr:ii ttei that, he operates a but~hery business. wheref:ron he n;mt:,ged to get tho ::1oney in question• On spO#ific2vlly the twa US 4.ollars ho sai i. th:c,t lrn got the sar.1e fron an unna-:ie1 Buropean fellow whou he ha:l earlier solcl 4 kgo 1 of neat• . ~ In his consi ·'l.e:rei ,iu 1c;nent, .. 41 that a •orroct ·1.ecision of t'.1.e c-, :._· :.-·--" ..:n ·1_0,1 :i,:avily on .)th2tb-::,r or not there ,-Jas enou~h i 1.entif.ication an·l c.i.:r;.;w_,,.;;c:1,u~i.c•J- "",•i tence, ,Jn p'.'\rticurarly tl10 v.Jry · ,uch alive to ·t:-10 p::c-inciples on the sai 1 topic• In tl:o en-1 .::1; ., ,, ,, . .,vc:c ' :t ::.;ub._:;t2J.1tial nu::,ber ·of -",uth-:n:i ties :.,atL:;fie-i that thorc w.::eJ r::.o enou0h circu:-1::;tantial an·l i 1.entific1,tion ov-i "--~,,:" to folli1.i a con.viction~ ........ . ' -/ .); ... Ther.e aro t.llrQe c:r:oun-=is o£_ .appeal. In the fira-t groun"l the .oonplaint is that the trial. court erre1 in hol i.ing that the couplainant had not ai.equately iientifieri the r,tolcn r.ioney. Mr. Mpoki su.bnitta,1(an1 he wan e.o~l~ <JIUi,~~-'t by ·1'4r,. Macaju) th,J,t in the orhnary course of business uoi:;ey wouJ. l not 'be e:3.13j_l~.i.1.,mtifiFJ.bl.ef an·l that in partieularly tbe instant eaoe where the ;:1oney was in bun·Uea of 110 9 000/:.:. ti :vouJ. i not be en,sy to i -'l.~ntif y it by nunbers or any other n.:7,rk(s). I too wouli. agree with this view that in the circuntances it wouJ. l not be very safe to say that Pi-Jl ·li"!. not ~rlequ.ately iientify the ,-1oney because u11less one ha-i a prior particular purpose !or wishing to i 1.entify then in future, it \-muJ.i not be easy to i 'lentify each ant evecy currency note in tho bTu>1ile. Inieei 9 in the or1:i,.no,ry eourrJe _of thine;/3 one woul i not inaginc of a :3itur,.tion ~-;hereby a pc:irson \JOu.lr1 GO about uarkinc or J?;ocor-'ling the 1Jerinl nunbers to his/her \ eurreney notes in O1;·1.er to alloH fo:r ~~ ~ future i1enti!ication of the scs::-io •jhouli he/she be called upon to io so. In any case, ny consiiereri view i.s t:.nt the caGe coul'l.. _:::till be i.oternined c.n the available ciro1;.n.stantial evi 1.ence with.out nc)G.es:::;aril~ ~ling in ai1 parti.ular pieces of ovi1ence ~ ii.entific~tion. "That, tho tricJ. court erre1. in law in hol iin{:s tha,t the eircur1tanticl ani 'l.iroct eviience by the proseeution ~snot enough to foun1 n. conviction". ,In ~3Uing the point Mr. Mpoki u.rGe1 particularly on· four pieceo of eircux::itantl,al evi i.ence whicJ1 !10 thow~ht woul 1 have been enough to foun i a conviction" They were as followo:- (i) That the respon 'lent ;,lept in a rooo nearby to th=1t of the co;:iplcin.::mt as aforesai1.; . (ii) That at 4,~ a.n. he left on 'l. toli PH 3 that he was sick Mi was eoing to buy r.1eiicinet an 'l. that at that rather. oi.1 hour of the night there wouJ. i be . • store ~o~pharnacy/ open to sell Deiicine- therefore that this eoniuct of the respon 'tent woul 1 suesest th._:t ho wo.c involve-:!. in soIJ.e sinnister nov~ w'.uch ~oul·i. have no other con..l'J.ection other th?.:h his invo1 ve,-10nt in the offon<;e( o) h~ wao chs.rgei with; ' (ii~i) Th':'tt the bare footprint;,.; in P;Jl' s roo::1 :.1atc!101. with tJ:i.hse of tho n:dpon 'lent 111 evi1ence-l in tho teotL:1oni.)L, :d pin_ c;w1 P\12 who were pi·eoG:!1t w:1011 t:1: rospon 'lent I s i)::,,re footprinto in PWl I o rooD tallie1 ,!i th t~1c;se :)f the rerJµon ~ent- an1 that thio w,,ul-1 no -'!o-L._')t sut;e;e:Jt th3.t the r0c::pon-1ent :·Tu.st h:we 1.)r:·~,,-. into the oai i. r0::>..1 for t~1e o.f:.:-,·e::;::ti 1 sinnict=:,r pm_'1Jo13e(r.:); 4 As was hel1 by thio court in the case of Enock Shoube Vt R 1,268 IICT) 2;1. 9 .d-l:'C~iaJ. -Gv:l-tenci,),- '.1:'rtliy :foun iing a conviction on g woul 'l be one where II the inculpatory factG were inconsL.:1tent with the innocence of the a.c-cuz.e1 :m1 iIJ,D~blo of ~xplan.a:t.i-<m upon M~ otht3:t r~asouabl.e hypothesis than that of his guilt"• Put iifferently, or. in another way, ctrcurrrt:rm:tial ~,~ -w'.)U).1 be pieces of evi ience which when put together wou11 leai. to no that of ~ther r.eaGODablG~lu.sioo 0th.or thai{ rm accuse1 1 s guilt. In the inot:mt ease , I too woul i. agree th.at the above pieces of c ~ evi ~oe ~en put. together wou.l i lea:'l. to no other inf0rrence other than that of tha. r~parment' s guilt.. In any ease 9 if I uay be allowoi to say by way of obite:i:-1 thG- :i:ospali1ent. iii not seriously 1.ispute hiu coniuct avi1.ence1. in {i) - {iiil above., In t,he ci.rcutlt~s th,,refore, I too wouli .subscrilze to the view that on the availahl.o circuutant.i.~ cvi-tence the ro.spon i.ent Wil.S iDproperq acqw.tt,e-i.,• The thiri. ani lC1.Gt grouni of apj,1oal rea'ln as followo:.. "That, on the totality of eviience the trial eourt errei in law in believing in the evi1.ence of the "!)efente which wci.c n0t creiihle"& Going through the entire recori, it io q_uita oorrect. to say that the -".efence ease was not ere-Ii ble aa cvi 1.encerJ. by the followtng f aetors :. (a) Going by his owit evi-1ence he eot the 2 US -tollars after selline the 4 Kgs• ol :Jeat; an1 that the excl1unge r2.te at tl10 tioe W'as shs 1400/=- per 1ollar 9 I think this court shou11 take juiicial notie.e o! the fact th2,t exehange rate is yet to be realizei in thL, country. In any caGe this wouli be eontra:Uoting hi:iself bec,::i,u:-;e if the 1011°.rr.:; were realizerI .1fter selling the four Kgs. of oeat then he our;ht to have been founi with oore dollars as the exchange rate by then vas certainly lcwet~ iL3 Mr. }'Ipoki, subr.1.itted, again even going by his oi,m calculation it •·1eas ho was selling a Kilograr:i:1e at Shs 300/= whieh wo~ 1 be contr2.iictoX;( of hie own d~tenent that he was selling a KilograrJDe at shs 700/=• (b) Ybt, again there is the ovii.ence of hirJ own witIJ.e,Js - 1W 2 - Er!.wa.r'i Chino. This witness testified ani ot,,,ter!. th:1t he was actually the one who was selline the o.e3.t - tc suggest thd t)1e :cr.}c;p8n-'1ent w:.>ul 1 n ..?ver sell :.1c~t. Yet, '::.10,t is °:~'1:."· . ~-- 1~::i.li the r,:;spon·lent ;.:::>i, i' ':·oLmcsu-1 to hi::.1. On,~, in t:10 c..:.. .. _;v___ ~,.,!a,,,:,. won ~,.:;re ·.;:w shcul-1. be believ":d 1:,t,t\-!Gen the two ae to the percon "'~l•:l "'_,~.:..-,,. 7 , -· .'J:L _ ·---· _:1,i i butch<.?ri r:: I ···••••o•ll•.)/ ♦ In the totality of the e;1i-1cmce on recori, I too think thf1.t the . rasponient was unjustifiably ac<l,~tte1.. Accori.inc;ly the or-'l.er for hiG acquittal i3 quashed. ani set e.sii.e. The orier th::i,t all the noney teniered. ani. ainittei in Court as Exh. P2 iG also set asiie. Inutea1. the 2 US doll~rs ani shs 110,000/= . forr.linG part of ...,the exhibit will be given b:1ck to the conplainant. The other sho 2 1 000/§ (which was also part of the exhibit) shall be haniei back to the responient. That sai i ?..ni oriered tho respon·1ent is hereby convicte1. as sharge1. with the r;'"sul t that he is sentence1. as follows:- 1st Count: · Five (5) yea.rs inprisonnent in terns of s.5(1) of lfhe Mininun Sentences Act NO •. J/72. #-1 Count: Two ( 2) years inpri sonnent. The senteces shall run concurrently., -11 G r!&VJ~, i-,I/.. L.I J .JI •. MSOli'FE 7/4/1996 ,...,e1·1. vere .-'I.L tn1.s • • 9th - 10.y of April 1996 in the presence of Mr. ~lpo~.i for the appellant; Mr. Muorm - Principal Sta.te Attorney as m:.1icus curi2.e; a.ni in the absence of the rcwponient. J.iI. HSOFFE JU"'GE 7/4/1996 Orier.r. The respon 1.ont to be arrestei. IIe shall :JeGin servine the .::,1)ove senteno(s) fron tho i::i,te of his arrest ani cor.mittal to prison • .Jf 'l,./-'1{( . {_.;:.. J.II. l'-TSOFFE JTJ''GE 9/4/96