[2008] UGHC 8

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jchemeri}{\creatim\yr2009\mo1\dy8\hr9\min8}{\revtim\yr2009\mo1\dy8\hr9\min8}{\version2}{\edmins0}{\nofpages6}{\nofwords1409}{\nofchars8037}{\*\company }{\nofcharsws9428}{\vern24689}} \widowctrl\ftnbj\aenddoc\noxlattoyen\expshrtn\noultrlspc\dntblnsbdb\nospaceforul\formshade\horzdoc\dgmargin\dghspace180\dgvspace180\dghorigin1800\dgvorigin1440\dghshow1\dgvshow1 \jexpand\viewkind1\viewscale100\pgbrdrhead\pgbrdrfoot\splytwnine\ftnlytwnine\htmautsp\nolnhtadjtbl\useltbaln\alntblind\lytcalctblwd\lyttblrtgr\lnbrkrule\nobrkwrptbl\snaptogridincell\allowfieldendsel\wrppunct \asianbrkrule\rsidroot5208742\newtblstyruls\nogrowautofit \fet0{\*\ftnsep \pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid5795592 \chftnsep \par }}{\*\ftnsepc \pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid5795592 \chftnsepc 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}}{\*\pnseclvl1\pnucrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl2\pnucltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl3\pndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta .}}{\*\pnseclvl4\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxta )}} {\*\pnseclvl5\pndec\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl6\pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl7\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl8 \pnlcltr\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}{\*\pnseclvl9\pnlcrm\pnstart1\pnindent720\pnhang {\pntxtb (}{\pntxta )}}\pard\plain \qc \li0\ri0\sl420\slmult0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA \par IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA \par HOLDEN AT KAMPALA}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl420\slmult0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\b\f68\insrsid5208742 (Originating from City Hall Court Criminal Case No. 1578 of 2006) }{\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl420\slmult0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. 64/2007 \par NAKIGUDDE MADINA}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85APPELLANT \par \par \par VS \par \par UGANDA\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85.}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 \tab RESPONDENT \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl420\slmult0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid1906719 Before: Hon. Mr. Justice E. S. Lugayizi \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl420\slmult0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid1906719 \par }{\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 \par JUDGMENT}{\b\f68\insrsid5208742 \par }{\b\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid14244949 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\insrsid5208742 This judgment is in respect of an appeal. The above-named (appellant) preferred the appeal against a decision Her Worship Esta Nambayo (a Magistrate Grade 1) made on 5}{\super\insrsid5208742\charrsid599433 th}{\insrsid5208742 September 2007}{ \insrsid5208742\charrsid6358002 }{\insrsid5208742 at City Hall - Kampal a. Under that decision the learned trial Magistrate convicted the appellant of the offence of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 305 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 120). She then sentenced her to a term of 8 months\rquote imprisonment. She further made an order requiring the appellant to refund the complainant (one Haruna Sewanyana) the money that is the subject of the above charge (i.e. a sum of shillings 2,500,000/=). \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\insrsid5208742 \par The above decision, sentence and order aggrieved the appellant. Therefore, she appealed against them; and in her Memorandum of Appeal dated 6}{\super\insrsid5208742\charrsid2966461 th}{\insrsid5208742 February 2008 she sought this Honourable Court \rquote s orders overturning the decision and setting aside the sentence and order that followed the decision. \par \par Before Court goes into the merits of the appeal it is prudent to understand the background that gave rise to the appeal. That background was briefly follows: \par \par Near the end of the year 2006 some one advised Haruna Sewanyana (PW1) that there was a piece of land measuring 58\rquote x 50\rquote ; and 38\rquote x 48\rquote }{\insrsid5208742\charrsid1582647 }{\insrsid5208742 at a place called Kulambiro/Kasana that was up for sale. Sewanyana visited the above place, saw the piece of land and consulted the Local Council Chairman (the late Semakula) about it. The said}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid16522700 }{\insrsid5208742 Local Council Chairman confirmed the land\rquote s availability fo r sale. Later on, Sewanyana returned to Kulambiro to buy the above piece of land, but its owner was not around. However, a lady called Nambooze Aisha agreed to go and bring the owner of the land. Sewanyana gave Nambooze some money to facilitate that exerc i se. The owner of the land (i.e. the appellant) did not come. However, she rang and said she had given Nambooze her photograph and written authority to sell the land for her. Therefore, when Nambooze returned to Kulambiro with the above authority and photo graph, Sewanyana was satisfied that all was well. He proceeded to the Local Council Chairman and entered into an agreement to buy the above piece of land. Finally, all the parties concerned and their respective witnesses (including the}{ \insrsid5208742\charrsid5728632 }{\insrsid5208742 Local Council Chairma n) signed the above agreement. Lastly, Sewanyana paid Nambooze a sum of shillings 2,500,000/= as the purchase price for the above piece of land. Eventually, Sewanyana discovered that the above piece of land actually belonged to Muhamed Sendagire (PW3) who had a title to it. As a result of all this the police arrested the appellant, took her to the lower court and had her tried on a charge of obtaining a sum of shillings 2,500,000/= from Sewanyana by false pretence. \par \par In essence, the appellant\rquote s defence was t hat she did not commit the above offence because she had a customary interest in the above piece of land. Ali Sebidde (DW2 and a brother to the appellant) also testified that his father donated the land in question to the appellant. \par \par After considering the above two versions (i.e. the State\rquote s version and the defence version) the learned trial Magistrate was satisfied that the appellant committed the offence in question. She accordingly convicted her and sentenced her as earlier on pointed out; and hence the appeal herein. \par \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\insrsid5208742 At the time of hearing the appeal Mr. Kusiima represented the appellant; and proceeded ex parte, for despite service the Director of Public Prosecutions did not show up for the hearing. \par \par Without going into the details of the submissions that Mr. Kusiima made during the hearing of the appeal it will suffice to say that his arguments raised two important issues which are as follows: \par \par (a) whether on the evidence as a whole the learned trial Magistrate was right in convicting the appellant of the offence in question; and \par \par (b) the remedies available. \par \par Court will discuss the above issues in turn. \par \par With regard to the first issue }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid8609250 (i.e. whether}{\b\insrsid5208742 on the evidence as a whole}{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid8609250 the learned trial Magistrate}{\b\insrsid5208742 was right}{ \b\insrsid5208742\charrsid8609250 in convicting th}{\b\insrsid5208742 e appellant of the offence in question}{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid8609250 )}{\b\insrsid5208742 }{\insrsid5208742\charrsid12588003 before}{\insrsid5208742 getting into its merits}{ \b\insrsid5208742 }{\insrsid5208742 it is important to examine the offence in section 305 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 120), which is laid out as follows: \par \par }{\b\insrsid5208742 \'93305. Obtaining goods by false pretences. \par \par }{\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid11147392 Any person who by any false pretence}{\i\insrsid5208742 , and with intent to defraud, obtains from any other person anything capable of being stolen, \'85 commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years. \'94 \par \par }{\insrsid5208742 From the above provision it is quite clear that in order to commit the above offence a person must by \'93}{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid11946013 false pretence and with intent to defraud}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 \'94}{\insrsid5208742 obtain from another something capable of being stolen. This means that, among other things, a valid charge under section 305 of the Penal Code}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid13435871 }{\insrsid5208742 Act (Cap. 120) must include in its particulars an averment alleging some form of \'93}{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid15282445 false pretence}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 \'94}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid2164208 }{\insrsid5208742 coupled with \'93}{ \b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid25489 intent to defraud}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 \'94}{\insrsid5208742 . \par \par T}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid1458017 he particulars}{\insrsid5208742 of the charge under which the learned trial Magistrate convicted the appellant read as follows: \par \par }{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid13859712 \'93MADINA NAKIGUDDE AND ANOTHER STILL AT LARGE ON THE 20/10/2006 AT KASAANA ZONE IN THE KAMPALA DISTRICT OBTAINED CASH USHS: 2.5 MILLION \'85 FROM HARUNA SSEWANYANA BY FALSELY PRETENDING THAT THEY WERE SELLING A PIECE OF LAND AT KASANA ZONE THAT BELONGED TO THEM WHEREAS NOT.\'94}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 \par \par }{\insrsid5208742 It is quite clear that the above particulars do not include an averment alleging the }{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid13859712 \'93intent to defraud\'94}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 . }{\insrsid5208742 Therefore, i}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid9269095 n}{\insrsid5208742 the absence of such averment Court doubts whether the appellant had a fair trial under the above charge in the lower court.}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid9926566 \par }{\insrsid5208742 \par Turning to the }{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid89842 \'93false pretence\'94}{\insrsid5208742 the crux of that allegation was that the a ppellant sold a piece of land at Kasana on the understanding that it belonged to her, when in fact it did not. Consequently, in order for State to succeed under the above allegation, it had to lead evidence proving beyond reasonable doubt that the appella nt well knowing that the above piece of land was not hers sold it to Sewanyana claiming that it belonged to her. \par \par In a bid to prove the above allegation the State led evidence from two vital witnesses, namely, Sewanyana (PW1) and Sendagire (PW3). Sewanyana w}{\insrsid669008 as the victim of the alleged sca}{\insrsid5208742 m. He testified that he parted with a sum of shillings 2,500,000/= in an effort to buy the above piece of land. This was on the understanding that the said piece of land belonged to the appellant. On his part, Sendagire t estified that he busted the above racket (of lies) in December 2006; and later showed that he was the registered proprietor of the above piece of land under Exhibit PX3. \par \par On the contrary, the appellant denied the offence in question. She testified that she had a customary interest in the land in question (i.e. a Kibanja interest). She gave the history of that Kibanja; and explained that she inherited it from her grandmother (one Bazanyawendi) who died in 1966. She further insisted that a number of her rela tives were buried near that Kibanja. The appellant\rquote s brother (Ali Sebidde \endash DW2 -) also testified that the above Kibanja belonged to the appellant. \par \par In view of the foregoing, it is staggering to find that in her decision the learned trial Magistrate came to the conclusion that the appellant was guilty of the \'93}{\b\i\insrsid5208742\charrsid9897660 false pretence}{\b\i\insrsid5208742 \'94 }{ \insrsid5208742\charrsid9897660 referred}{\insrsid5208742 to above. It seems she made that finding mainly because she did not consider the appellant\rquote s defence, which showed that the appellant sold only a Kibanja interest to Sewanyana. Besides, the Agreement of Sale (Exhibit PX2) also tended to confirm that fact. Of course, it is perfectly lawful and quite common in Buganda to find both a registered interest in land (popularly known as a Mailo interest) lying side by side with an unreg istered interest on the same land (i.e. a Kibanja interest.) \par \par All in all, therefore, Court is of the opinion that}{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid1770638 }{\insrsid5208742\charrsid14620089 on the }{\insrsid5208742 evidence as}{\insrsid3357140 a}{\insrsid5208742 whole}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid14620089 the learned trial Magistrate}{\insrsid5208742 was wrong}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid14620089 in convicting the appellant of the offence in question}{\insrsid5208742 . \par \par With regard to the second issue }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid609266 (i.e. the remedies available)}{\b\insrsid5208742 }{\insrsid5208742\charrsid609266 Court}{\insrsid5208742 has this to say: Since Court decided the first issue in favour of the appellant it means that the appeal herein has succeeded. Therefore, the remedy available is this: The conviction of the appellant in res pect of the charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 305 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 120) must be quashed; and the sentence and order that followed must be set aside. It is so ordered.}{\insrsid5208742\charrsid609266 \par }{\insrsid5208742 \par Finally, before Court takes leave of this matter it wishes to comment as follows: The learned trial Magistrate\rquote s undoing (while writing her judgment) was the usual trap that judicial officers are caught into i.e. a failure to evaluate the evidence on record. The case of }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid6241828 Bogere v Uganda}{\b\insrsid5208742 (SC) Appeal No. 1 of 1997 }{\insrsid5208742 vividly explains the concept of proper evaluation of evidence in a criminal case; and judicial officers, especially, of the lower courts would do well to remember what }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid6241828 Bogere}{ \b\insrsid5208742 (Supra)}{\insrsid5208742 says on the subject. \par \par \par \par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 E. S. Lugayizi (J) \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 2/9/2008}{\b\insrsid5208742 \par Read before: }{\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 At}{\insrsid5208742 10.15 a.m. \par Mr. Kusiima for appellant \par Ms. E. Kansiime c/clerk}{\b\insrsid5208742 \par \par }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 E. S. Lugayizi (J) \par }{\b\insrsid5208742 }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 2/9/2008}{\b\insrsid5208742 \par \par }{\b\insrsid5208742\charrsid11498698 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid5208742 {\insrsid5208742\charrsid14620089 \par }{\insrsid5208742 \par \par \par \par \par \par \par }{\insrsid5208742 }{\f68\insrsid5208742\charrsid10514270 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0 {\insrsid10036401 \par }}