Charles Mashala vs Republic (PC Criminal Appeal No 27 of 1995) [1999] TZHC 487 (23 December 1999)

I AT DODOMA (PC) CRJ}l.INAI, APPEAL NO. , Z? OF 1995 {From the decision of the District Court of Irarn1:1a at Kiomboi in CriminJ Ap_pe.:tl Nott 41 of t994.,_ Be.fOJ:'e ct..• Kom'ba,_ Esq 11 ,, Senior Disj:ct, lvlagist.• iginal Cri:::;inal C3Ee fo" 96 of 1994 of the S:lQlui Primary Court r.,t Iramb2/Kiooboi Distric..t,) · '·· CHARLES MASH.;J.,J. THE REPUBLIC KYAND0 1 J • ~ • • • J • , .. ~ " • • • u D . ~ • • • • •• .. A.Pl? EI;!.,ANT versus • • • • • • ., ,,. BE.SP.ON . . ... G M E' N T This is a second appeal in a casG orieinating in the Primary Court of Irar:1ba. District 1 at Shelui• The appllant w~ eharged_ in the said c;ourt~ together W?- th anothe; pex-son whom jhe uri: acqu.it.ted 9 with cattle theft._ He .,waed aA4 .. the.i; senteneed to the statutori:;, .mininlUCl pp-1ish:ient of five (5) year,~ !or the offence., He WIU::> aggrieved a..'1:d appe,:,J.ed to the ni.strict, . 1: Court of Iramba but the District Cour:t dis:Ji.s.:;c,t }?.i.:; appeals .Nothing daunted he now a,PpeaJ4• to th~:s court., The evidence groundinc; the appellant', cc:.!T c"-r:ion was that on the night of 27/28.,ll.()93 fi-.re head o:'.' ,· wer0 · stcl:.::r. fr:;T!' tl:oir en. a.t the cqpplai.na:.t; ;._ .::.inestead c.t I Mtoa, _ in Irc:anb3. Di.s-1::!'ict. On not:...c:::.::15 tJ:c C::.c:·.):;10 .r-.1.:ci; of his said ' ttle tJ.1e complainant, who testified as i.J:,,·.:1 .. •. :L ..::. h·.w .:::..:iJ cry ~ •• I and neighbours gathered. They s:tarted to 2;;e.:cc:1 · i' ;: · t u cattle following their hoof uarks •. On the wa:y so:'.,1... .Jf t , ,;Y.·.;,le in the search party returned ho □ e but the complainant 1:;:.-:: __ .,. _. -2 u s . ...2 mates continued with the search. The,y we;[,:; 1: v ,x, :•. ,illage - ~ w!'.l.ere they were able to find three of the cattle ali'v'; -.:- .. l J !al '.Jccn . -- )t'b:;SJJ~. ones. They were ha11C:.,:.;C:. ::::" c.:c..:~f. . ' '~he slaughtered ., ••. .. 1,.2.· . .... ' \ ' i

,. .. 2 - ,l :i 11 11 i GabriGl Deusi Yomonino (PW5}:. told th8 tni.:l court :1 .: . in- his evidence ti.12-t r.o ,;.:.;s t:·xJ one who slaunfutc:'ed the b.ro i·/ u : head of cattle w]1ose skins were he:.ndod ovet td conplai:.,.c".nt I s search [1 1 !I pnrty. Ho testified that on 27.11.93, t:1e ! 2:A .. ,:::,2.---r,t :..:}:d the I i( man who was acquitted went and sold five he::-dlj,.:f c·:;::::, to him iJ /l ( I think there wc,s :x.1 error in the dates for:1 ·c::; t: .c~;: took a 1 •-~ f: ." - place at night on 27.11.93). After negot.Llt"i.11 .,.;, ::2 '1 :.•:;,-::.:. to tr.::e. them a::.d it was agreed that payment f©::.~ t:.). c::'~ Uc.· ..-1ould I I .I !I be on 29.11.93. The appellant and his coli),eo.g'Ll.c C.:::.l.ac;p.::lly pleaded for a sr:iall advm1ce to enable theJ ci.J,r::.v:6 1,·1 ·':o ,29oll.93. PW3 said he agreed to give the''.1 av:, advance, ofi/ Shsn 5,oooi.., but they should come for that later., He s!aiJ/ 1:.7 t}-.en ho Jc::-.cl al d . th . ' ,,. 00 / l . :i t' 'I :h " t . · . rea y given . ei:1 .:ins. o , =, wnc. ne ail l)ei:•J-:--.: .. 1 a.'1.cl ,,:i.s colleague allegedly said was not enough. ii . o.~ "Ui t ted · When the appellant and the ma.1 who u:: · ,I ~ -'C:.'lt I' '· for the Shs. 5,0.00 '• p,,rz said he hearci f:;-,], )!ic y..1l:t>tc t'1~-.t I' VI,/ ' . - ii.. . './ - the cattle he had bought were stolen pro:iJeir·t;x:... :::; c:·.L ;-_c' them sent one of the youths to inforn the Poliqlio t I,:u:.:ccr"o. The · I ii Police were duly infurmed 2.nd they went to Vb ::-::. uco of Pvr-5. They u . ·1 . :1 - f d th ., .... ,1 :--· J .. ,. .... :- ·.,a~ 11 "'Cl' +1-, 0 .',, ·J_ .•. ; ·~ - -::,s:;:t·, l .,. OUD · 8 c~ 1 J1.Ki ~ ... ..: .. 0 ,1 ........ '"-'"' C'.J Oc.-::-,Ue 0,1<;;,1::. f...:ll.: c:JI'J'.'1c,;.__ <.o,, :,jl(;(}• They led th-2:: t::i t:-:....: l'olico Stution \v:i.th .:t±he ,reuainin1.; 3· '1eac: of 11 - cattlB c::Cld t:-ie two skins of the slnu:zhtcrr'c f::Gc.. 'F:-;•o, i.e. at tho Police 3tation, the complain.ant ide:::til'i4c~ " , t:.:.:::;; I ,1 recovered head of c::,.ttle end said thc:y ',:eF 1 , c ;f-,J' :,•.L ·:::::.· cattle ' ,1 stolen fron him on thG night of 27 /28.11. VJ. i 1 .· • .::: fr.-., 0 • • cki::.s he ,sc:id they were of his stolen 2 head of c:..JcJ ::.:: .. ,: t '?:,e appellant .I . 1! and :1iG _ colleague were then taken b2..cl: to! Irp.:i1;;o._ ,Lore they were taken before the Primary. Court e.t Sl:2J.·,i.i t:, !-:.:::;,-.r0r t'.10 chm·;e of cattle theft. They pleaded r:ot c;uil ty buiil;f-v c\lf-1'v t)10 Clld of tho- trial ,, I I the appelL.mt, as noted already,. was co:.v:fcdfd• In his defence t 1 1e a--o·l 7 - 10 t '13.r' stJ.:,,[' ,.,.,., c.\1 26 11 93 he 1 ft Mton, l1is .homeplce, or :::_::." ;{:-- 1 said,j 10 :'., 1 ,• 1 1 :J~~; ~ • •. ·, e _ ~ ~ to gun 0 a. to -'-i:,cok fo~ - ,, P. his wife 11rl10 had escaped to tho.t placeo 1rre ra:i...l •Jn 2u.ll.93 at · 11 oo h · 1 t r~ rr h,':'l .. , .-- +-5/ + ~ 1 . .-. -- · 1 ---:. ...... .. R • - ., , l-: e:: R aruu:.1a • ·· aeme I W 1. ~ a 1sun 0 a . ..:.. , .. c -I ·:· r ~ ., ... · .. •-· .,. 1.l.O C., ,.,_ Who · was acquitted. He said he asked the other d'ar:. :<,: .. ' .some ncney but as ;/ :; they were discussin;:; this :?Jliceman arri·ic,l ',l/ 1 c., 1_·1 t:-:.·y arrested both of them. ,. , ' ·••£1 11 i: . j I I, :I . ;, Ii' :I

.J They ~ere led to the Police .Statio:r1 where t;::.or ,;,:.:;:._:.; tole,., the appellant testified 1 that they ha. s_tolcn". fivo :·c;; 1.· cf cc..ttle. Later they were tran.sfer:c&d to Sh•.:lui ,-1hero t:1..:::-". :er·:: ch.c·.:rc.:d. in this case. The .qan who ,was acqu;ltted ca:,,-e a t,.:tally cli:/feront story to that of the appollant. Tho.t. ~ testified the!c >e, we;:. ii'.1 t;c cdtle l . . l ' .• •. . sluhtering apd sell-1c; of. meet busness aml _:'~- ti. 27 .12 93 (eicJ) he was ·nt Iguue;a --ig. ·ca-tUe f ;;;lat:·~~ •. -:.,:_;.. "e ,s."?..id . ... . ~ t . whilG there the appellant told hir.1 that he Lc.J :i ,.-,--:. r., .... -.. .:.,f cattle which he we.s selling. Ha said he told J,:16 ··:)0J.ln...:t tho.t tir:ie• ThoY ::::::::L Dc:::-tod but lo:1ter tho two -:.;t C{;-::.:'..::. ,;:·_ t:"e " hor:,os ..-. '! 1 :1e L12n · acquitted L1a."'1' s wc,:4 I' said tho. ,:>,pr;olla:.t crnd :;.:i.r.J -:c· :1:: had ., not M yet found so □ eone who wanted to :wy c:;_ttL fc:::- ::: ::.::-~ not sold his five head yet. The man so..ic'. ho .. ::.:c:·:- 3'. 1 1 :_c.', hec..rin,: this, to go to PW3, who also slc_u:)1:'..:c:l c· ·, · , c.:.::d sold r:1eat, and inforned. PW:, that the ctl-'Jell::--.r-c •,;:·.::: ,::L ':..s cattle. P ,,n ,c,r,reed to buy the,,., ""'Cl as ' 7 C-- 0 )-~~ --~~ ·-·- ..,_. Vt.,.J -: lU c;v..1 c,; ,c...., u 1 L,..:...,,v..L-....., . sale of the cnttle were going on the Police i:,:x .. e;:;(,:_ '.)'' i)1-:!:1. They were led to the Police· statio," ,.-.rhere, as s1uwn r.. 1 )ove., they 1rrere alleged to have both stole:1 five head of 6:. ttL of the complainant. In his petiti::m of appeal to this court, t]10 n.IipdL:.it contends thc.1.t the cattle in the case bclonge;,'_ t: '1iG co i a!dc.us¢s.. i.e.•· the;; mari who wo.s acquitted, o.nd that t:at r.1a:1 wa/5 e.r,quitted bec;:,-..use of favourit~ only as he ,-ro..s close to sor:1e of the prosecution witnesses. He s;xyB he hinself had :1othinc tu ,:'.) with. t;1c cattle and that he was wrongly convicted. I have examinec-l t]-,s evideEce closely, PW3 had celled .so1:ie peo:i;,10 to 1i t".lec::::- t::o s::-12 transaction such as Mohanecl Kucc:;·.-:a (PW4) • . Together with t:-w 2vidence of PW'.3 hirJself, the a.;ent people puts beyond all national f:. "' tne point appellant and his co .. accused were at PW.3' r, evidenco o:: :tll these or fact. thn.t the ·,Jhcn the Pc::.ice ai:iriv-ad cmd they sold the five head of cattle tc PW3.: rt L:: o:ily surprising that the co - accused was acquitted, but tb;re ic ,:o :1.:c:r:x.1ent, on. the . that evidence, the appellant did participate b oellin-:; t:io l:L)r:_d of cattle / to PW3 a:.1d ·1is denials as regards this are, mere :,ack. ·A lies.

,, ""' ' -· - il ,l . -,!"11 '!i/il~~¼l!iWJJ,\i'i)i!!ijl,;w,,,. f\1 il~!f !ill 1 1111l~ I)~~ 'tlt'J.€1 o«imiriititlll;m''""l_r, ~ ,0, .,, ·,,<or,:,·--,' l On th "1,·-"- • , t r-l c-;:·" ,,,1 ·!-,ho L . :VJd1 ·"'·• ' c~. f~~~ ~ -~"- DO.."':a-P."f .. , . . ::, :,.:,,il, la,P.t.._ was :D. thief in er-elation to those head of ciJ_tt}c : :?fe;red :; ::an::::n:~tc., that he had come ir ! . for the o.bove reasons, I hold that t}{,t .- ::_ .. ·•.:Jt · ~;,'3 ! fl :: - properly convicted by -the Primary CouTto 1 Tih'2 : .• . c =- k .this court ,gains t the decision of O the Di str i c •,t c·lr C . 11,c: eel ,\ircg ·. hia_ conviction by the Prinar·y Cc--irt; wholly 1acks m.cr1 t.r. . a1~~ ~~~ i.s t,her.af.or..fl. di.s,:-:issed.. ' .1 (B.A.A •. KYANOO) JUDGE

2)1>:::~tl ~~·1::t ~~--) c.:-·'2'3 ::.ot J.rish to a.1;pea1. I JUDGE .....,..__,. I. 1l ,, I 1 il ,, ' ~l I f t, I : ~\ ! ' A I, i ~!' .: " ,1 I ·• l I ! •i f : I I .. ~- ~\

. ,.. ,·-. \ •' ,,1 Y-:·.~~\ : 1 V ·' " _,11;;·. ,;, •'. ,'' ( . _ .. ,.;:· ·,:( '.--&':- .;'.,•.· \ \ \ .

,. -{

.\ ,i, ·,.: .:.; .. ,..~