Fabian Kumwenda v People (Appeal No. 46/88) [1989] ZMSC 130 (21 November 1989)
There was no evidence that the appellant was himself connected with the irregular purchases or abuse of authority; mere presence or showing what was required did not amount to participation in the offence.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- [1989] ZMSC 130
- Parties
- Appellant: Kabian Kumenda; Respondent: The People
- Court
- Supreme Court of Zambia
- Jurisdiction
- Zambia
- Case Number
- Appeal No. 46/88
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Judgment on Appeal
- Outcome
- Appeal allowed
- Legal Topics
- Abuse of Authority, Procurement Irregularities, Public Officer Misconduct
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Kabian Kumenda
Appellant
The People
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Judgment on Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the appellant was involved in the irregular purchase of motor vehicle batteries and spares in abuse of office
- 2 Whether there was sufficient evidence connecting the appellant to the offence
Ratio Decidendi
There was no evidence that the appellant was himself connected with the irregular purchases or abuse of authority; mere presence or showing what was required did not amount to participation in the offence.
Court Disposition
Appeal allowed
Orders
- Conviction quashed
- Appellant acquitted
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
'' . i u . - . :.· ·. ,1N THE SUPREME COURT Of. ZAMBIA: ·rr-h~·-1.1·. ,;.'.':,Ape~al-. No. ·46/88,' J2 : •. . ; . . • • • • • • • J ,,. • • ! ., 1 ~~ : • ... · " ... . • . 0# , ~ , ,.,\,,,,.·, . ,~ . , • • , • • • • • .: sr.-utt:e : ·· ·: -. ,-·f, . . ··. .. . , • ' t f • • • • • • I • ' • • . ., .a .• ~: . ' · . I- ~ • .. • ..._:, ' • .. ,.,; ' .· , """ ~ . • . .·. . • .. ••.•• • ' ;. £.1.'J,rJU c, .. ·. 'T., .... . 1··• •. "h• . ., ........ ~ . . . . . '. Y.:t'.',"tr,:::•l\ l t'' r,, •' · • : • \.,',,,: • ··.•iv ">l H CR ,,. • , '-",-• V . '.. ";...."i,i··· ,·r·· .• 1.; ~ 1, ; , ,. ·..: ,. Q . MJ ,=,'•··•: :~.: ••tr~•~.:, . • . · . , • v~ v . \ .1~ 1 :,-..,, ,, ·' •.• . ... r ..... ' ~ABI_AN. KU~EN~~ · .. .. ,·:··. :~ ·: :.'. : ... :Appeqan~ ·,. · •!!°JOLOEN ·AT .. JLU. 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' •. \ 1;:;;i "". l!"'f1V r•r:::,i,,...\, a , l! ... ,.,"' ·.,.,,.., ·o~··~~,.., .. ~t·lli~t~~1,.c~,·,~i i~tA0:· ;:~(rd~· i.: ··:.-> .. ·: .. :·· :;_:: F~ Kasonde ·. ?f Ituna Partners for·.t~e .a_pp~.1:uo:t ?\ · . . : . ~ .. ··· ·\~n·•:•:•: . : : , , ..... h .•.· "·· .. . . .. ,.::. ~ f•U t<,. h'•V,1' t.pl\':"· G. s·~ Phiri, · Senior State Auvocate for .. t~~· ... ~~-'~·~t°\(·~: ·}.: :-.-.. .·,. =. · •.,.(._:,: ·.::' :· . . ~·:> -~,;<r al •~:•·~ p~y._?nr -~~ rfei+.'..0~$'·.'.~f:~~¼ .. t~dtJt.rid:·1·,·:·\< . . •, ' •, .. ~ . t.-, t.:1c \ r~un l. sr·~-~ l. / ~ .... / · t··~:·;/'r·~~~:i~·~,tt~J'~.:tt ) ~-:,,.-:,..:· · .•' .''. ,. · .. ·· ': ·. ·.:t . r.o T.11etr- r eg1Jle2~·1fl~.!llf~i!-· 1:~1ni.i'g':,v:a,;•''.:-;,i;-,;;i:..au~fi •'.-t-hA"""':·' .. ··· •, S1," NOYwmuerr.•1:,0 -l ,. J:,r~P-t , ''1, •"f• ',,,,,"'(:~"' o\J\1111: ' ~•f• l•l•~•~ •'•' • ' • -~ Ci"!. T t?f'cP.' l.r• 't,lei'it y · r~iti l'c!l/;•:W,\, ~t~~~··ttr~r• r .,~,~ . '• ,. ; • ·, '·, r1 , At till~ tirO~ tM'i"e N~j•~ ~1£t,n~nthJ. SWJS . . ',~ ·:•n\i' ~f\•b ~. e· ~if,t-•~1,,lllff-'¥:i~. J1·~·.,~.ff.s· th' th1f ' .-,: . , .. -,.._:: .. ,.:.1 . • ~· .... ~;- . ·Respondent ' ·. :· . ,to• . THE. PEO~L~·.- · .usti~: J '(' up1. H (,r•~- ~ .. . : ·:' . • ... ; ~,--.: ~ -~ ..... l , . ; . ' 'J.,.:r :· :.(. o/'"i .... ·: ·~~·\· .. :·\'·"·~ •• . · n.r·: \ . ,.;. ;_. ·' , , ... ,i :.~1 ·u •, '_ . t ~ • • · · ' . ' 1•· • 1 r~, . . ;<r-::'-, ( . ••• • .~ i . • • • • .• . • • : 1 .. • t . . . •·. •• -f t. ' ; , . • ' \ · • • t \ • • • • # ' • ,. ., ' . • · J u·p· G M"E N' T 11 • .-ff.\.,~,,..,.111.illJ'l.lf. ,., .. : •• • ·•: , • ., . .. . . ·. . . . · .. _; ~-:: :_;_:·,: .. :\~'.:"-n:~2.:.:: .. :.~. .:: -: ·: > . . . . ', ::Gardner..::i"!.i,J .• S •. :~.e.l,~J,e(~~ p,Je1,~u_e9~}i,Q~f~~f.~li&~:-/.-~~-.1-~·~iJ. I~A~·-.... : ':·· .: // ·-~·:.·· .• :;, ·•::,::\·,.:·.;.:t'.~'!· ;' \ .:,· ·· : ··., .. :,·· ·._.;),:'i:i', , ... ; __ .,r.·. .' .: · . ... .- -~'f, ·.·' The aj)pellant~wlth. two··ottiers.i was·~cpnv.l~~ed•,ont:pnej ~oun:tidur.fL, ·· · ,, .;· ,' ·.... ' · of- abuse ' of authority/ r cootrary.i to ·,Section>199(-1')J:,of~l:tl\e-. . P,,r:-ahtode. · .· . P:en~· one count of··attempte• 'abuse ;_o~ -•~th~tlt)f,.1;11h•.1i·P~~_IG. Ulat:,SjJ.t,, . ; · .,.:·.,,-, ··>.t .·, ... : ~(=:•~•• , .. ~,, .. ~:~= J ~! ... ,: , . .. · --':·-. . ·,.. . . · . , . ·, · :. . • ' ' •. , . ,I,'•• : • , · . , (.' • • • • o o •• • • . 1 • • • • • • • • • • ' i J • • I : • ' I • • • • • t t • 1 • • • ' ' , I I • • • • • • ' • It •• ~ • 1 • ,, ''{. • ,,.,: . p . . • • . 1 .. . . • • • ,•, ~>l . • . ••'"'1'\: "••~"';< •• •• . : ~:''· •, ... : ' .. . '; .. ·: ·. ·I':·: :·,. ·' ·: . . . ··. · -, of '~he fl rst · chai-ge; were 1that:\t~e (~p)iel} ~•+:~J,Ji)~~~;(~~: ' : : .' ·: : ;' , ..•• l~"the' 'date. ·unknown' ~~t; "between: .. t~e t1 otri· ~iQ~ fr~~;'r~~i~~~~~,tr ,; vlt~(~iii; ': . . . · . .'' tl.?at· LU.$1~~-.,.., being -~parso~s:·,~P.lO,Y~c;f. ti.~ (~h~.-/~u~J _(czS~v.l~~~~.,~~P .. <>11 q~: . . : . ; : _. r,rQff!cer 'ond ~Chief. Mechanlca.l : ~uperltntend~nt'~:· :~_o. J11,~i¥i f-ij~~:iw.t1q~;~~i,t~. :·? ' ·: 11).cti11g in-abuse ·or authorlty'tof1.their l.off.i.~~s~ t-p_ur,,~h_.,,d.,rt~9:q~y-nJn~ · .. : , ,: t: ·moto~ .. veh l c le.'battart· es :·ind·:. f our'.h~r.~r~~·i;,~~-~~w~~-~~i-f~~~;: ~t~~- : : .. _'. . ·. ·;} .. \-.'''from sta~da~_d'Auto Servlcesrst~tlon·l:atilli.nfi~t~d~p;rlc~/s~{~sie~~~sted: , .,,, -111 of purchasing'"from··,reconnended~sources:,\:namelyi~ ·lde,iZ«mt>la ~pmited. <,'If' ~nd. Dunlop Zambl a' Llml ~ed ~- .wh l ch;wa~~l)~~j ~-~-1~1a:1:e_~;~:tb~,i ~t,r~~~. . . . S()~f'-thiGovernment·;1n~that'.:~h~":-'~v.e~nmel)ts01~ihei~~:p~~Jlc~~fti~ia . · s~•1o·st e sum of -K128,493-65 •. Th&. partl~~lars·,o,·· t_he ·sec:ond·- char'ge · · ~•, :~•:.''•:..:~r .. ::/ •• '/ ••• ••. •' ;, were that the appellant\ and'. two· o.th~rs'l betwee~r29th1ao<11t30.t ,~·-of . c; :'.· D,ecember t 1986't at 'LU-Saka\:·: bai'ilg -'persons,' employed ·.ln \the.'. P,ub.liC:: ... . ·- Service as aforesaid in :·abuse of ,:thelr1 offices: :di<;l·:a\~~pt·:to::PU_rch~se . . . • fl v~ ~1_:1n~r~d t1:Jbes and. f 1 ~e hundred tyres f.r,om ,Jt.atj~t1)'.'~_ .. ~uto Serv ic.~ •••, ·-• , . •• .:s •• C ~~-::: • 1-· ~ ,, '- . . . . . , •::t l~\ •: ~. •• .•. :t'- '• · . • ·· · · . ' ~,_., , : .:" • . ' • , · ,•, . · ,: -~ • •.' • • • . . •\ ' I .• ' . • ·,. ' : , • , ~ • • •• • •. '•• ' ' ' • • • • • • • • • . . .~ . I .' • . . . , ' ' ' ' To • • I ' . . .- .· . - · .. ·~ :_ :--;·.::._ -:-. ,.:·.·;.~ •·~. •·. ' - . . .. . . ... 2/...... . . . ,// t -i ;!;:.:~: . . . '' .. ·-,;,;-:·_>\.;::-;,-·_ ' ·. ; • • J ·.,2· • ' ~ u • . . . . . . . . .. . . 1 , 1' ' ' , , , : ; ' ' I I I • • • • • , t 1 0 ,• • • • • • • • • . • • •, ' : • • • • • .., ,_ ,o • . 1 . , . ' : . . I ••' 'f' •,, •' ,,. l ,\;";--'~•, ', : •,,,:' ,•\".,.;;,~,:,, •~•, / /•• •1•' :; ~\, .. ~;,•:.- at inf 1.'ate~"' 'prices ' 1'nstead ·or purc'has'.l ng \ from~:tha: 'ric'o~~nd~d f ~ource. ,. Dunlop Z11mb1a· Limlted~1and~whJ.'cht wo:uid ha.'veiciosi ~13a~·934,~io·~the.{~ . Gover~ment:' Of "the1 Re~ubltchof' tim&\~~nt \t.lt$ h·ipi~~~f !,~$-~p11~tb~~ ' ., :·: :'·, · ,, :-:),· ,-:.·· ~ 'rhe prosec'utto'n1ev1dente wisith'at/ 1a~'ithe~t•i~~~h·e·n:··rh~ret&s~ . . ·: . ·.·_· wa~ an ~mergency' ; th_e~pol 1ce 1f.orcet..~r.ge~~l~-~eq~·1ri,1;~~~P:~.1:·\{~el1~~-r~ . vehicles on ·the ' road~r!I At .,the 'ttme'i~here' ~ete ·suli~ta'~tia1;•s·~ms1 ~'t~ / :: ' ... -·~ •\'.: ... . .. :·. ·. ~. . ' ' of ' money owing t"o thelr., regtilar-suppl iers/ {'. Ho~ev~r:~because.,there was an emergency,·· a· large sum of•money 'wasr'm~de·'~v,aT1·~~1e?·~hl~ht: ·. could have been us~ tQJpayY•both~:thi{ out1ptand{.ng'.!arre~rs~ to··the. usual·· suppliers and' olso·_,to1 piy'tfor. ~he: new·;,good{ t~af were .required. · , .. . I~stead 'of .going''to 1 the ~suaP'iuppilir~-;fh.~t·:~~¥!1_;1~i~;d~;wtioW~$:_ ·,,' . :, : , .. was acquitted~ and· ·the\ secon~·;acc~!~ij( ~~6~~-h:~;~·~'tri~·~-~-1~~~~efitS~::· ·· ··. ·. ·:· to'i tHe :suppliers ·referred ·to\'in the~charges~~·no£.v'b~!hg•1titiel_regular~·- :: ·,' suppliers, and did not g~' thro~gh .. thet'riec~·i~~~;~pi~~h1i~i~·g11~~dcei~re, . ·· .. nor, after they had. completed ~he . transacttons,-, did'· they .a'sk ·tor··· : .. · . · . .. · . . '•..... • • • ,' i • · · . . ". : • •, ,• ·J,.· · . · . ~ ~. · • ' . ·. . .- . • . . . . . ... . . . j. i j •t •: :. • l · t ,-. .~ • ~ ' • .. , . . , . ': •, • ! ",: :,; i I' o .. , : •~ : .. • 0 • • ~ I I I O ' ~ ~ I • • • • • • ,: • .,._; :, . • • • / •, ' ' • • ! I O O ' t . , • • • • o o : I : : ; t • • • " • • • • ' ' ' f 11 10 'i ,•~ -=-~:"•~!:.:,,,. • J• ' • •• . . . . •~ • .. ; • • • · , I • I • • • ,. ' • • , • • • . . · : ha·d mad.(!~'-"; As · a·:·result· ', :· ., -; permission to cover the 'purc:hases whlc.h.;-,they', . · . -~• .i .. • of this, according to ··th.e prosecution .wttness~s : ·.a ... gr._eat ·ciea1_· · ..... !: ... ··:·. •.· .: ' , of sales tax whtch 'would · not, have .. been :payabt.e :if it1~;-u·su·~1 supplies·. ·_ . _:_ . ····. had been made, became piyable to th' Governmentl4nd;~·.somewhat"' ·· contradictorily, the pro~ecut19n alleged: rhai;)t~:~:}:r~; f'tb~llG9ye~~n~· . . . · _. · .. ·._ .. \t:·1•.::. ,,~ ... ;: .. ·'· '.~ :., : ....... ..._;.-,• - ' .· ..... -,...,._ . . :""-:vlJ.:,c; had lost that money. The ,vtdence. was .. that 1th·e,..ftrst .. iappeJ1ant :-··1 •~•.,. I ': .• •, • ,~?t~-~; ', '••, • .. •. •• • • ·- ,....,....,......._ ..... _,_~_ .. . . ~G. ~UPRt:. M_E L:OH{ l .. ' . · ,_ . _:,._ . • \ . : I , . • : . • " ' • • • l :· ·. : , . • _ . : . . • • • ' • ,,. · . ' •, . - : ,. • • , • • • • • • • • • • • : I I ' ' _and the second appellant approached the pr~$en:t. appellant, w:ho · -. t • ·• • .. , • • , , .1111 · • •·-:.j ♦ ·;.. e • -. .. ., - ,. a • ~ ' was in charge of the garage of the po,Hce,,otsa111;~JJpn ~. and requested ' him ~o accompany them. to show them what ~was\~requi:re,t i'n!ttie way. · of batteries and spares • . In consequence of ;ttU~---·S:-e<iuest: ~e did . so, but he took no part whatsoever ln the ·actual 0purchase.·o·f"the . · ·:. . .. . . ' . •. •~ : • , • • • _' . . ' • •, ' \ ' ; •• • • I , I • ' ' • • J ' • • ' ' • • , ' ' · .-,'\ • . k~ L'VJREMCE . · _. · SVPREME·.·cduRf.;~iJoGE · · ·:··· -· • spares. ' • ' I Mr. Kasonde on behalr of the, appellc1,nt,:-ba$ ·putjn· a. number.\,! • - ; f . /loll! - , I • ' . .. ' ,. . . ' '.' • . of grounds· of appeal which 1n effect are ~at··_there)s. no ·.evidence . that this ·appellant wa$ himself connected with:~he t'~regul,rpurchases ... -: . · . · ... ~ .' ' .. •, . . . . .. . ' ' ' ' ' . . . · .. • • .,.;. . < •>; -/J\••;,:: ·:'.•...:.,,:·;::,:,. '. :, . . .. . / 1 • 1,1.••···' ••t•, ,'!i,~ •. ,,,,ftY,./3 •. . ·• '!,'. t,:,J.,::~!,:4•~::,~•• !:;\i~:,.\,t , ~.~ ~-••~I:~•· •• I ~ •'- • • ... . .. /·•. :::~·.-.·r.-v~~-~:.:: .~~~~/. ~_::•-~·, ··; .'>·<_ ... _.<~ .~} . '!,:", •'!•'~-:.-~•~~-••,·.~, .... : ', ' \~~ .. , .... . ' I I ,. I ~ • • • • • • • " ' . ... • • • ,,,_ •• ' • . ► - ~. • ~ • .:, • • • . . > ~ , ' • .. • - • · - • .. •· •, . ,· • · •• ~ •,1 : . I ·: ·I ' ' I ' " ' I ' ' : ,. i . \