Chacha Nyabikene vs Republic (HC Criminal Appeal No. 363 of 1977) [1978] TZHC 185 (19 April 1978)

:: ":.'··•.,.-.;:T (4A¥ :,.,,.,.i::1 ,::f- FF- .hI.:L.-,'l'E.'. )JUE.I SDI crr·IOl': ;1:.· . :·,. . - '- ... ; ... I.: :i)'' . . . ·.i·,. r')., ·• . ,, . ([ ', i, HIC Ii CCURrt··· Gn 1 .·•·1JALJ' :APPEil ).'JO. 363 '.:JF··1977e · "-' ,1- · ,,..· : -: ...... - . . , ~ . ;_ ~ .-: ~ 1 '.: 0 :: ,t . :'ioil! :·. __ 'bbo06·.:-, . . : 1 ' re · · · · · · · .· .: ._ -- : 1-· r +, ORIGIN.kt' CitI:'lNl1L cMi.:_ '1:-l'of' 154 OFJ;;l-97,7_ OF' _'LE rISTfiJcT· COUR'Y .. · · . -. ,:-:: CF· ",· '$0'1-!k.DI;i>TRIC'I' -l-l'ri USO'i!,:: '·'},·: ! ··' · , ·. ':', J__ _Ji) ; . . . • . _{ .. : ' I.I .:-, i.; -. p • • J , __ '• • ,·· • .- -- :. REFOR'-ii' c A. c. c)cao, .•ESQ., Di211tc'I 'IiiaisTILTE .. · : ... =--.-::S:-.r:-;-:-~-• -•· ___ ;.;,..,_C I = ~ ••., ;(°: -, •·'- :.:.il .? , -i ;i.,•. . CHACHb Ny;3L.:'NE .. . . . 'ver.SUS; . . . . ; ;J_ t; ·f" • :-.··:.- ·}/ : .. ,: -· RESPONDENT .:· , '; .. ..;.;;. ... "FALILA, J.:: ::-,··, --;·<.,, ....... ;_ Tl: . Th . ~ppe ~lar.: '~~~".:. orik L;vli·b,ike.ne ~, cr,,a:r ge ¢ i;~ 't'ri' and convict~ d:- ;of the offence: of~ t -fe 't;i'.e ft con:trar to,'.~~ cJir 2'c/d , f the 'Penql, Gde e: ,-; • He wa~ sentencec. to six ye-.::.rs inpri!3o~;ii~,it. J:e q_:,,.ealed agaiμ.eth~!lis_ . t-- ·,~ , • - -:..:, ..:. •• : ... decision •.. . ···::: hitri,.,,·.b:: · · i Oil •The prosecuti;:ri case' .fr1:tn.e:,•:t11,ial.cou:rt w2s 2.s bizzare as it W:,,--, . conf'μsed •. The doiilainari'·t" ·· 1 iikono Tutui (fvi.1) 'id in-:his,•evidE1n~~~ tha.t • • • ·,· - .1,.,J '-(·.). :::- ....... ' .,j-.,j_ --J,_•,•· ..... .f on' ·2/?/72. a.t about 10 · a. 'Tl•• e gr9up- Qfrp-opls. went· to his ho'Tle",:tac.1c;l;-qnd . . . ·.·• . . '. . .. ' : ; .. ':,.;.-;- •. - si'T'lply collected 66 of his· cat.tle,•,nd, 4.6 .s,.1eep and· goats, c1a1.Jliing in • • I , : ., • • ..... ,, ::-; ), • . • • ' .. ··the process that'tliey w·ere .-t-Oirigrib'.se.,,m:.i,,als bJc-lise tneil's h.ad:be,n . • . . •. • ,.. • • .. 4" stolen. ·J,ppa;etly he left ti:e -nattr c1,t .· th~ t until the following dy· • .1. J::rr •J .. , . : . ... . . ·. 3/2/.72 hep,he prooeeaed -c the Police Stat:'..on d Tari"ri--: arid lod.ged a ·)feport concerning this seiiure .. of.;his cc1ttlr, s:E::p- and goats •. Nothing happened unt.il -· -;;a'; lster· i.-tr. ;n 26/3/73 WL"'L .he the co-nplainant "f:.?f.t.t1.:.·. : .• - . : . ·.·•. . UJ"iv..:. . proc.e e de d to ~~aj i "loto '"\iill:::te. He w.s .. F CCOipc;L i.:: d by. a pdliQe,nan. . .A.t the h-o-nested· of ci.e 'lrc:sisi ;,'3j\b:ur:i.JPt3) __ ?·;:tiffied·:rour cat:tl.e. o.ae of which was a calf to be - :· ".'t of."'thi\ ,iil-p.i'.l'lal8 sc ;_·;ed fri. hi,t a year ; :.•. previously. WhH. que stion<:'i, \fasi:s,t;-st.ai·ed· :r/'t .l1': h~;d ·bought thEi,-i{'.:fro'!l · · one Cha cha Nyabikene ·Ls p:C'2'sent ppellant. ;.L':'ll · tne appellant was , ... - . finally traced, a gred-seling-,oe cattle-; asisi but .. :.· ·/:·_: .. :; ·.:.';' t . :·, were. 11ot the ones s-=ize·d &t£r:a,..detifieq, oy t11e co'llplainant. ·: -' '.1 -. : •.• ·: • ' ;,'.'.!. '/ ! - ·,· .. n·ever"theless charg)i. . . ' + ., - , .. · ·'-·-' · :t1a t they He·. wai;; ...... · .. ,.. •.u,::. :.·'; 'fasisi Wa'Tlb.::s2 ··hiii'l'lsJl:Lsoid in evidence ti::f soiie:·h 11e,'during :1972 ·,.( 'r . I. , ... h-e bpugpt. four he;a.s· of· c'-ttl':! at a, cattle &.uct1on :c:ro11 the appellant, •• -• J. •. :.: •• ; J' , _r .•: •• l •L , , • • ' • , , ·' • :- .tha t these c,U.giu'iod. dfc-·:~~if1~= CAWS and onE :t)uil at' Shs~· l-,lOt>/ ••. He said that this sale wa.s ·r:e;t:cx.,i-etd on a piece'of paper ill'-the presence of witnsses. These witn·esses were his own wife Nyanbli'ia uriu1ia (PW •. 4) and K . l \T · · ···(p;,.5) B tii.- th . t • ' confir'Tlod . . . l'!!U . arongor1. " ··. o. •• . ese .~1. n2ssc.., .. . 1n tne1r respective evidence that they· witne sss d ·tne sal.i?;. of fuu:r he ;;;d · of cattre be tween the appelli,,nt and asisL In his defenc.c, whictt· v,Jc,S dlivBred fro:n t1.e do'ck th-e appellant stated thc1t in 1971 he i•)ld. two b--:cis of cattle to ,.,r:,c:::i at S.h.. 250/= each and .,.hf3 ~ both ani 11al c ;:.re c:.1":"" brand 11ark on i. :.r ::.nd legs and th.st thtl se W':re not t:1,, on• Twc ; ,

.,;, 'fwi ta \faige (D. w. 2) and ' 1 :.li 11co Kinag6 (D.:¼{S) tconfir11ed ihe appellant's version and that the s.e cos-is ,,,rere nkhalc'iJ':ir.".cl:o,u~.; The trial 'Tlagistra te onsi.der,,d the·{ v ie,:pp _br iefl;y: and decided to accept the pros22ution version and he g~~e two r-c:sons. 'I'n0.· first was that the a;eiL·i1:( ni'nelt1 nd :·hi'ii 'to ,witnc sse s had ad11itted to have •• . • ; • • . • I sold two head of C5,:trJ-'3, tc '"c;;sisi',' andithb.t th_is wu; confir'lied 'by'a: .: ., : • • t .i.. .:... : • '. • - • ~ -- written docuiief:ri't ci'nctwit-L:··s:s-, :.setio.~iy, hc·.s-:~id tnere r,ras no

• • • • ... ·. : - difference apart .fro11 colour in the evide1:ce t,i'IJ,2n by· the pros-ocution
• -·- . . . witnesse·s and t .. ,,t f :ti,e or.,:ellant.: :l~ t,·,e: c::ircU1)st<:'ucs the . ,, .. : ;:- ... -..,.~~~- agistrate saio. tt"'" n'" w;_s satis;fied"'·friJb._ 0 t1Le svidence ·61'·"'.PiW~ ·{ and F.,W, 5 that :thcri: :as ar. .illegal •saie: ot P"':tt,le: b; · tne appellant to . • ~ • • : : ,·:· ,"·, 1 trr. (g· . . \fasisi.. On this La sis he found the .a..P:i;i.ell::::1t guilty of 6a"'t·t1e theft· ' • ~ ; 1 -: ,_., ; )( :''' _; : • as charged and convicted ni11, ----- lt see11s to 'Jl' t.i:lci.-L t.c.2 trial 'fagistrate ccllpl.:tely miaundertood · ' . . . . .,, the. app-llant' s deience'; ;11• ''.',fagistrci-t., could not be right in· baidng-'2. ... ' ····• -., - ·_.• . ..:;J'-'.:-- ·------•'. hisct.:;?}dfog~ on the· view· t~~"'t the a'ppe;l.,l~-;t,.:;.n,<i, .. 4;i,s wtne·..'..sErs· hd"Lll' . , ·' - ;. -~ -, ·- ... . -· . r~ . -. . - . , •· ~ :: ~ - - ) l.. j- :· .. :- . ". ,.., , .. : , . . , ad'llitted selling the ca'ttfi to·-a-si:s.ic 1 /I'.Q.e ./ll'.Pdhnt ad11i t"'tacC'se'l1'ing,,1: cattl to asisi but not tne ones which we;rr_; seiz:\1\y: tfi'.J''.i8o:iiplainant sL . . :·•· ': ,,: ··:. :-: : ,7' ,;, . . . :'fu,kono Tutui This k'lnd'of adilissi.on,,coul_d not be used to convie·t· the··::: appellcint_ .. · Secondly it k.s:·.1ot true. .aEl _th'.'. 'ags,trat/fo'd-tb.at:there -. :.':•:• • • r,. waE. no differenee· betwe..ih ''-t1'e- ev,idence,.g.iv_:-r. .b:,: the prosecution- and-'1tha;t . . ' . ~ . g:i.ven y the ap;e:].le;nJ, ·:-,a his witne.sses. Th'2 rrosecutin case was tna;t th.Etap;;1i;t solo. the c"'itle to "1asiet_?-u_:r;;Ln 6 1972, :he;as-ccording to ·.?:, .'. I".' .. , .: ,: - : ~ : ,. ... .;.. te ,appelJ.ant ar;Li hl.Js··,1itr,cs1::•::ir, :th€.~~lf :to_ok place.inl.971'.;that is before . ·,.: the .forcible S('izure of ti, ·, case wa~ that te appel'2n '0,0'Tlplaipan~ ':~ .. :bat_th • .. s(rd~~'a.if ;the 1)1'ose-cution sold four Aead"' 0£ c ttl~ · \i~ ·\ifasisi, wliiJ.\E( the appellant and nis t1itness"'s s\ated tna1 he sc:lc. only ti-io heads of cattle, ;.-;,,Then there were d.iifereric·::s about.the.colour i:...r,o. t.r:e b:raiidl;';' in the .").- r, ,T r, ,. circu:nstance s l :i.o not ti.· . .,;, i:t was• -saf.e fo:r t1,~ tiai · "fagistrate to so --· . .:.;·,. ... ,.- ·.. .:., i.; ,._ ... . . easily brush 'off' th<; se c.if!erence.. '. The ·o,ad;2n ,·«,;s throughout on the prosecution to {rove not only thcit.ro.e· appel~~1t sold cattle to a,i;i,si, but also that -t.1e particLlLr ©cit'tle ident:;,fied:by the co11plainc,nt" we-re the very ones soid by th". c.}':p'ellra.nt. 'I'he pr.osecution would have carried their case 11uch further ii{ this' d:ire,ction if tri_ey hai{b~~'en able to- peoduce the written record of this sale. But t.h,:,y los.t .. rice 0 ii)t 'tihwith it .their best chance of provi.::rg the appellant'? guilt. ··- ... ,: . . ·• .. r. Kinabo who ap:r.:,c.1•:ct -- '.. . for :tne-, Republic ,.it the hearing of this . :Ii.·•·. appeal. supported the ar;; 0 L .t's coaw-ctior_ on t.1e ! . .. -: :. . ba1?i~ ,.45·1; ·the ."'l'agistrate was entitled L b,!lieve ·U1Y·-prosece-ut1i:0.n..,.witnr.sses ., - . ' . and <lisb,tievethi · ,fence. This:'..}ru.E; .ct as l .::t.hinlc I tc.y·:. f3u.ffiqiently de.,71onstrated the agistrate 's finding d.J. not cle-,pgnd o.n th" :...ccptance ·or .. rejection, .... '· . ,·_ .:·· r.;:; . . • .' l ,' .I:"·.·, .. · , , . ,. of either versioR M pro::(, 0 cied on th.e assu:·1ption that the twc{(fersions , •• • • •.;L• • 0 • •, ., 00 were. identical. .-,:;. ;;-these;,.::2··scns ":,f-'-·prosacuji;m clc,:;i;.i not rove the charge . a_gainst tn·ap~.cll nt ·so· t.:;.,4;,:-this appe:&1 ,,::c-ess, The appellant's .. conviction' :is <·· .3he:C. 1 t .. ;;c,5-l"h.-tenq: of six -:·: r -..., ;:;·, t::side w.ith-~- .. order ''<' .- : . ,, . :' • ~ •• //3 .. . ,t· - .-· - ..,

3 that ·he :should be reie•ase'd iro'Tl prison i:n-nediately unless he is othe rwisa lawfull3-; de ta inc dn . ~ •. •. ;.., ' t Delivered in Court at 'ri·wa_nza this 19th ::c;:;-,. of April~ 1978~ "fWANZ.A TH .APRIL, 1'97.D . ..;.)• .. J; ;t;, :,;. • - t -_ , .... , l . ~ '. /, ' ' 'J\ l- L '-1.F;.iiLIL_i; 1 JUDGE _., .. • '.: ,. ·•: .. · :,. ..