[2003] UGHC 5
The court found that the prosecution failed to adduce any evidence connecting the accused to the alleged robbery. Neither the complainant nor his wife identified the accused as one of the perpetrators, and there was no other evidence on record implicating him. In the absence of identification or any link to the...
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [2003] UGHC 5
- Parties
- Respondent: Uganda; Defendant: Joachim Mukalazi
- Court
- High Court of Uganda
- Jurisdiction
- Uganda
- Case Number
- HCT-00-CR-SC-0010 of 2002
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Trial / Ruling on No Case to Answer
- Outcome
- acquittal
- Legal Topics
- Robbery, Identification Evidence, Prima Facie Case
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Uganda
Respondent
Joachim Mukalazi
Defendant
Procedural Posture
Criminal Trial / Ruling on No Case to Answer
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether there is sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against the accused for robbery under section 272 and 273(2) of the Penal Code Act.
- 2 Whether the accused was identified as one of the perpetrators of the alleged robbery.
Ratio Decidendi
The court found that the prosecution failed to adduce any evidence connecting the accused to the alleged robbery. Neither the complainant nor his wife identified the accused as one of the perpetrators, and there was no other evidence on record implicating him. In the absence of identification or any link to the crime, the court held that no prima facie case had been established against the accused. Accordingly, the accused was found not guilty and acquitted under section 71(1) of the Trial on Indictments Decree.
Court Disposition
acquittal
Orders
- The accused, Joachim Mukalazi, is acquitted of the charge of robbery and discharged.
- A fee of UGX 300,000 is certified to counsel on state brief.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
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\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA AT KAMPALA \par }{\b\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 CASE NO: HCT-00-CR-SC-0010 OF 2002}{\b\insrsid11472882 \par }{\b\insrsid556911\charrsid10649120 \par }\pard\plain \s1\ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel0\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \b\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b0\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 UGANDA }{ \b0\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85.}{\b0\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 PROSECUTOR \par }\pard\plain \s2\qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \b\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b0\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 VERSUS \par }\pard\plain \s1\ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel0\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \b\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b0\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 JOACHIM MUKALAZI}{ \b0\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 \'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85\'85..\'85\'85.}{\b0\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 ACCUSED}{\b0\insrsid11472882 \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\insrsid10649120 \par }{\b\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 15}{\b\super\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 th}{\b\insrsid10649120 January,}{\b\insrsid12216959 }{\b\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 2003 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 {\insrsid10649120\charrsid10649120 \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 {\b\ul\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 BEFORE: HON. MR. JUSTICE J. B. A. KATUTSI: \par \par RULING: \par \par }{\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 T he accused at the bar is indicated for robbery, an offence under section 272 and punishable under section 273 (2) of the Penal Code Act. It is alleged that he and others still at large on the first day of June 2000 at plot 3 Yusufu Lule Road in Kampala D istrict robbed Ibrahim Sharam of two T. Vs, two radio system, five pairs of men\rquote s shoes, thirty pairs of ladies shoes, three mobile phones, one carpet, six wrist watches and a motor vehicle vitara Reg. No. UAZ 389 and at or immediately before or immediately after the said robbery used a deadly weapon, to wit a gun on the said Ibrahim Sharam. \par Prosecution examined Ibrahim Sharam and his wife. Each of them did not claim to have identified any of the thugs that attacked them on that fateful night. There is noth ing on record to connect the accused to the commission of this heinous crime. It goes without saying therefore that there is no prima facie case made against the accused to warrant him to take his stand. I find the accused not guilty. Section 71 (1) of the T. I. D. refers. \par J. B. A. Katutsi \par }\pard\plain \s3\ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel2\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \b\fs24\ul\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 JUDGE \par }\pard\plain \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid10649120 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\ul\insrsid11472882\charrsid10649120 Court: \par }\pard\plain \s16\ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid217905 \fs28\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid11472882\charrsid217905 I certify a fee of shs. 300,000/= (three hundred thousand shillings to counsel on state brief. \par }}