Mussa Kongo vs Republic (Criminal Appeal No. 54 of 1997) [1999] TZHC 398 (31 March 1999)
Judgment
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IN T]~ HIGH COURT OF TANZ.ANIA
AT NJOMBE '
( SONG A REGI; 'l'RY)
CRIMINAL APPSAL NO. 54 OF 1)7
( OGIN!'..L CRIMIN.\L C'.. i;_; N·-:-.. 60 OF 11)?7 bF TI
DISTRICT COURT CF SC)NGEA !.'I' SONG:-:A)
CNSOLI::)ATJD CRilO:Nf.L .I\PPAL 1~~. 55/Y?
'MUSA KONGO APP~LLANT
VERSUS
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J tr D G M 'S N, T:
.·. ·MKWAWA,.~J •
These E\re consolidate~ a.ppoali They are Criminal Appea1s Nos.
54 r.md 55 of 1 cision of the District Court
of _t;on.?·ea in :Cr. C:S7. They arise from t.e;. dse No.l' 69 of :';1.9·7• It is coon gl'Ound that the
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appell,n ts; Mussa s/ o Kongo nnd '1!:d.w3.r,} s/o Luor::-a, were charged and
eonvicted of store breaking and stea;om c/ss. 296 ( 1) and 295 of
t!e Penal Co:e an(J. Guest hour-e brenkinf!' c/ ss 296 ( 1) and 26 of the
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Penal Co :.e.; They were conseauently each s,mtence,l to five \5) yoare
imprisonment on each ca.unt. These sente:nc. proceadinr.;s in this court cm~'. the court below thp
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!ollowinp.; -s were· ore.erect' to run
·'e'oncurrerrtly. P.0in1:, e.ggriev,ed by_ th['.t ::1.ecision they are •now P.ppeai;is'
to this cGurt,.
From th_r-itters ;:,.r0. not .in c.:.sp4te 'eetwe,-- · ·
night of January 3t 1S-97 th0 gu:wt hoUPe an'.i the store of the
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'1ADA1l. LI~ T::,:AINING IW'TITU'T.':iJ in 2on,:,:.:;:o.
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Son~·i)a District n- the p:1rties •. Dur:t! ter
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invaded by burglars ·who broke: into tri0m anr! stole severcl. i tc~ of \
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property:. 'I'he ii}C".i. 'ent w2s subs::..1uently rcpcrt .. cc1. to the Polic~ /
th .. ,., t v~ry morr.in? 3nd
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se.?.rches were mounted. ·into severe.l houses of prime suspects. ing
the search two ble.nts were .retrieved from the roem of the second
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nppellnnt but severnl other iteme were recovered in the rdom of his
rother one MATm
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It is ,mmon sround that the latter is at large
to-d.:lte. The blnnkents were -identified by the complaino.nt t-e/ be
runong the i terns thry.t were stolen therefrom. It is common ground th<-'lt
they were r.tll i::Rctbecl. the word LITI/MAD which is the Institute' a
speci::•.l m::>.rk for their. belt,nging/ s.!
It is c:.lso common ground that when the house of the first accused
was searcher;. nnd nothin,P.: incriminr.ting wc,s retrieved from his house.
It is appnrent frorri the record that after o.n intensive interrogation
by the Police th,3 first npp-:7..::.,:.nt volunte1·ed to bke them to the bush
were the stolen items were hiJ.den!. It is common ground that sc·j!)-res of th•·
stolen i terns wer,:) subsequently retrieved from the thieves'" don in the
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bush ne2.r a runninP-; streo.rn.,
ing involved in the offoth the i bppellnts ?ehemently deninces
which are now chc.rges levelled nf.ainst them... The first nppellant told
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the court th8t he h-.:.'l only ,mt wind of the ·wherer::.houts of the \hidden
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stolen :i. terns fr om 1/'T·:
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0D LUOGA ':'nd one PHILLIPO ·-KQ\IIBj when the~ ho.(i
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sought from th-:,:r :::·or o. hel:Jing ho.nd c.t the time the; h2.d decic.ed t~ go
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und rt.iiev0 their- ·, ootv from their dnn at the river side,. ·
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The sGcond ,?.ppellnnt in his defence raisec:. o.n ry_libi thnt on 1e
material d,3.te he was on s.:?.fari r.it Mnwanga village, in Ludewa Distdet.
This assertion finc
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.s support in the testimony of PW.5 EDWARD LUoal ru1d
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DW. 4 CHAEL KIF ARO$ He cloo,.; not dispute the nssertion by the Prsecution
thn.t some of the stolen i terns,. _no.mely the two bln.nkents
from his bed-..room but he throwS: the blc.::ie on -his brother
suspects to be the culprit •.•
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were retrieved
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MAT:f-mt'- whQ he
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The t•rial m.:lgistrate intrinsically disbelieved• the c.:ppellants'
version and prc-c,<;:eded to convict th~m on the basis .of the evidence
adduccc by the Prosecution's side.
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B<. th the appellanto pr.tested. th dr innocenc~ in their petitions
of appeal and criticisd the trinJje-on'f!!.ctin magi.5-trte ted them from all
cul:rf,or· failed
to con.sider their defonce versions which h::d exonerbili ty o
Miss Kadehn, leo.rn,::d Stnte Attorney advocating the case for· the
Republic/Rel::lpond.ent ur
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cd the ccurt to dimi,ss the appeals os the
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evidence af?'O.inst th-:m wan overvthelming •.
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She further submitted th,::tt the second a.ppellantl"s defenc~ or a.li'ot"
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c·ould. not be rel:i.ec1 upcn ns h,3 did not c
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i,sclose it before he was c·alled
upon to def en:i,. hims0lf •.
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I h-::ive c2rcfolly gene throup.:h the judrctrient and pi tdd it with the
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vidence o.c.duc0d by the wi tn,ularl~ th~\
of alibi in support cf tho socond eppellant, ha wnul~' hoVe faun~ .~n {
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of the appcllnnts.... .... :; \ \
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As the def-anc<= ra-ised intrcduces reneon:~ble doubt ns to the "'Uilt
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ot· the first r.i.p,clli'.nt; end hnving becm amply s:?..tisfi;rc. that the defenco
of c:libi rlli.s.ad in fo.v,ur of the secC':nd appell:uit completely exonorn.te.s
him frcm culpi'.bility,. I cAn iw'; allow the convictions , t0 st3.nd.
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'sses from both. s:l.r:
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Secon·'lT, t ·:1:- C•-·art is not exempt from the req_ufremcn-.. to
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lo.ke in\o
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the defence of :11ioi. where such defance hns not bo·on disclcs,,d bv\ an I
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aecus,Jd p ;rscn b-.:fO".'.) th; pro.s .:cut ion clos-..:s its case ( s0c: .SH.- ,I musi' say in e.11
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earnest th.::-,t I h·?Jf}.S/9,.ve consic:Jr:lble difficulty in nffirming th:-i.-., decisi_on.,
This is bec3U8e cf th0 foil0w!ng {:G.27 E.A •. 211 nt p-:,.,.<' 217 rmd if!:_tescns&.
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Firstly,. :::-::i.ilure: to crnsidcr defcnc::: C!:\S,') i:'= f,l'?.t;.1 to th·e proeecdihgw
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(see: .1-0CK HART -St]:rrnl_<LBS. rtiM:
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V.R. /f9907 T,L,R. 3Si iri r()L,v.::.nt) •.
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In the pr0s-.:;nt c.::so, h-::.d th0 trial/ convicting :igistrnt to.k,m ; \
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eognizanc2 cf th,., ctef..mces offend by tho r.i.ppellnnts ::Md p
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In the upshct, tho ppeals succeeq, The ccnvicticn re
neco"d.inly quash "d' sentences set o.si::l~. The .c1ccused persons are to
be set <:'ct liberty fcrthwith, unless otherwi-<:e held in, on some other
purposes. It ie: sc crdcrer:.. DAl,1\Rl"7.D .;1t NJOM17. this 31st day of
March'1'f.1.'-9' in th, pr:,1::enr,c: cf. Miss K~::
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eh,?., ;,to.ta Attorney.
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JUDG
31/3/99.
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