Director of Public Prosecutions vs Arbogast John (HC Criminal Appeal No. 187 of 1990) [1991] TZHC 2404 (12 August 1991)

. ) IN TH.w HIGH COUiiT OF ThNZhNI~ .AT'hRUSHA.

ifrl\ELLA'I':r:1 JURISDICTION HIGH COU.:iT· CRH:INJ.L Af fl!;AL NO. 187 OF · 1990 ORIGINi>L CiUMilAL C.~lii NO. H) OF 1990 OF Tllii Dlti'hUCT COURT OF ROJVlBO DISTRICT A!? ROMJ30 B.ciFOH.Ei A.L.M. M.llLLYA Esq, Dl6TRICT Mi,GITRNI-E DI.iiECTC:l 01:t, PUBLIC FROS..i.:.CU'll..:NSi •••••• •.••• , • ••. ,A:EfELLANT . . · V.iliRSUS .AiiBOG.tiST JOHN• •••••••• •·• ••••••••••••••••••••••• , li.&SfONDENT • JUD GM E,.l! T. BFORB Ofu...!CHiiLLA 1 JUDGt This is an a.ffeal filed by the Direc-t;or of Public Froa1:,cuti.011a against the acquittal of the resfondent one Arbogast John· who had been charged bfore the District Ccurt at tlombo with the offence of stealing by age1:t c/ s 27 3 (b) of the f't;in&l Code, Ca.p. 16. Mr. Lundu, learned State Attoiney, vehemently argued this apeal. He submitted that ths resicndent's defence of alibi was of no evidential weight because the same did not oomfl.)-' with the mandatory provisicns of Sbctin 194 (5)(6) of thti Criminal Procedure ,ict, 85 for failure cf the res,1:ondent to give the requisite notice 1 about the said defence or' alibi. I qui ta agree. with Mr. Lundu that, indt3ed., th8 defence of alibi that was 1-,ut ui:, by the resrcndnt in this case did not comply with thQ eited section of the law and for that reason that defence coud ·not be acaord' any weight • ./ Mr. Lunc;.u, also submitted. that it -was not neces,eary for the ccmpl&.inant. (I. vi. 1) to have ·raclucdd thE:J hc:.n,li.μg ovr of his prof,erty to the respond.ant i:n writing as thc.t handing over waa between peole of the same business, that is, shop ked~ers who are neigh.hours at 'larak.ea. So, th1:;; said hc.nding over was done out of tr'ust and_·good noighbour relotions between ,. the com1,lainant

•- .. 'i 2 ' ' an,_ tha r1:,Sj, on:ent. iiftcr all two othtlr 1,1:iO,i.,l~ wi tn€-ssdd the said handing ovcrr ncJ111-.,1y· Y.,.-2 ·and· F.h.j. F'.or this r.1:sascn, Mr. Lun.:lu urged I it was not n1:1ceseary fer P. l'l.1 to 1-ut in writing the list of thinJs ··he hanc:.ed .. <;-y~~ to the res1 ondent an-~ tc require the res 1 .cndant • • ' • ' • , ' . t to si 5 n fer· the·<.. "r•eci1,t '-cf- these: t,μ-1-iig~; · · · - . - ..... ' "ii th ru~i:;:.z:d. te: the · qutH::~n why the chc.rgesheE:t ,1emes fE-we:r •e .- i terns than those h h, 1 ir:ent-il'ne.d in .. hi,s. c:vi-..ience tcbhe things he handed ovt;r tc- tht:3 resJ on..i.ant lr. Lunu suomi tted th_at the comi lainant is net to olamo: for thc.t di'scrt,1,ci.ncy "bae;~~~tj 'he 'did net . J:,racnally i:,re;;are t.,..:, . hc1:-g6sheet. 'I'he 1:olic<"3 whc frE:!--c:r6l the ci!argeshet omi'tt€J . '· to manticn threin som1:; artic_les .w:nich I-~~-.l h ... d h.;.n·d1 over to the re::..t"'on:lent for him to k"etii1- in safe custody. , In reilY tho reondent reiterated· t~at e a not nandd over I any of tl~~ tnings ref&rre,i to -in t11; c_hargl;l an-.: the. t on' tne m:::teri al I., .. day he 1,as· not at Nbome.i i9- tarakea. !tes1. 0;1-:lcnt chd- 5e.i that the caso:;; '·- . -was mrely cooked against him. 'j__hc.. res:..,ond.ent. q·ueriiiicl' ·l-1hy F. \i. l di.i net call neighbo.urs r,os'i.:ie11t. at_ Tarakea to vii tnis~ 4 • the s:aid. h2.nding over insteri~ n~ 6alld his y~~ng orothr (it.2) nd a perscn resident in Useri · (fo ,1. 3) far from 'l'arakea. 'lhe resj,·•cn.lent further qutirit.o why f.r;.l'cculd net iro;;..uctJ. in,,cQurt any cash sc::.le or recei;,t tc ,._ SUf,I,ort ., ownerslii1 of any of thE-- things h;::; clc:im,;,<i to h"" ve h:.nde:, ovt:r to him. lt'o:r ::1:xam1,.le Lr-.1 ccu],.d- net reduce such receipt for :J;urc'.1cc of 0Xi,ensive itoms lih, the roci.io cassettes. 'l'hB resr.on.knt even/ailed 'iO .1:·ro:luoc: in court any bu1;3iness lio::nc0; fer his shor, busin(;:ss a 1 1:rakea. I hvs C6rdfully nd s&ricusly considared tha wholt:31 eviience o record an ths submissions given by Mr. tunu laaraed State Attornay ' and t·he statmerit gi Ven by the i:o0sf O.'ld.t:int at th1:; ht:&ring of this atf eal. I nave ente:rtain-;J. a. lot. of d.ouus, as the trial mc:gistr&te dii, what tna hndin~ ovr ot rroarty by f.1;.l to th~ resrondant was &11 aboui. 'in0re is semi;; sinisto:;;r i:::hni1;;nt c.bout the vihcl1::, a.ff air such thc..t it is qui tG J.i!f'ic'u.'It for me to elievc thc.t tht:ire vias a gEinuinE:: a!ld no.aest t.c.;.nsfi:i;;r et 1--rc1-r'\y by :t. ·h. 1 to the res.1,-ondt:int by way 01 uust in th strict leg&l sansc 01 ht word. I

, I t 3 t I I have ant<:1rtc,in1,;!l doui.lts in .tnis md;tt:r for th1:: fellowing reasons. he items P.h.l claims to h6V hnubj over to the res1,ond.t:mt aN, many anli acme aro quite vzlliaule. I sl1.0uld hc.-ve thought '\h2.t th1,:;: com1 lc.i.inant was likly, unJ.t:ir the circun.stf_ncas, to hb.Ve ri::c:.;orcled all thos1;; i terns on a 1i.;c1:= of ;,i:l.1er to st:Jrve the memory 4 It would not h&ve b8en easy, if not imfossible, for one to commit to-,memcry all those stln:lry i terns and th1,:;:ir amounts. ·he com.1: L;.inant who is a businessman is not a f<:Jrsn cf that ty.1-e whc• could not .resort to the ml3ans of rE.cord und,:,;r thsse circumstancas. Moreover, thd 1ersona who are all&gbi to have witnesshd tnis han1ing ovf:lr are iersns. who du not orJin.,rily res id.& at '.i.'arakea. i'hey are not· businessmen at '1 1 rrak1::a nor arE:J tht::y th::: n8ighbours of thl::l com.lainunt o.nd th res.tond.,:;nt. One of t11c.se witni:!ssos (l:.1!2) is the ycu.ng broth;:.r of the com1, l2.inant. llh:C.t· }li:<rscnniCE,s not r1:1sida at Tarakea bt nab ened to be at 'l'ar'--kE::a f,er OllMCe en t110 m&tE:irie.l rlay. Simillly with f.1,.3. I strongly shre rclsondent's misgivings as to -why tne com1 lc.ina.nt Jill not associatt:l his neighbours or any i-erson in aut.ho.zity at 'laruka in vJi tnessing ·chis ha.."ltling o,;1:::r! F'urth1;;r dou·bts a:boun.i on t11t:· 1,rosccuiion 6 aid~· in this cas~. It is' nc t · e~·~ 1 e.olishcd whc:. t Xc:i.ct i terns an.i thdr quantity f. W. 1 hc.nJ.bd ovr tc the res1.ond.o;Jnt. 'l·nd testimony of P. 1 .1 and. th ch&rg1::she1::'\ clo not tally on' this 1 oint. Jilac F.h.l Landed ovr his articls to th~ r6son1nt h&s not been establisbdd bb.}'Ond rt:c.sonc:.bl<'.l do·1.1ot. her st of all com1;lz.in&nt' s ovint:1rsi1i1- of those tilings h, .. s been called to quGsticn an-i ho fail8& com1-let0ly to to p•odue docurnt:lntary evidance at thB trial to "'st.:..blish o,rno;;rsl:if of the se.id articles. I qui td ·, J.. agre1; with tile 1'as1.ondent th.::t, under th<=> circumstances, tht:> corr,i,lainant. \v1c,ul-:l hsve, rec:.dily rroduced liJOnie receii:t or cashsale .'\o sui_::r,c?'t tha furch&ti·e of some of those articl!:is, for exemfle thid National rc.Jio cassettes ·IJ.•n~ comf,l.::inant he.cl nc such recei; ts. He eve;n failed to 1,roducti his busih1::ss ·licence. 1111 thcs6 circumstances .crbat~ doubt to my mini· as tb whettr th ccmleinant actually hi-:no.tid ovar his shoi; gccds to t.1t; rsi OJ.'1d.8nt, &n,1 if 11~ d.id, thbn ho.-i rra:i.y and fol' whc.t :-'uri:;osa vJc,.s the s2.id. h.J.ing over? I am i:ersu2.ded to say that this was one of tnos~ tubicus deals vlhich tuis ocurt would ·not wish tc s.d,judicate u1 on as to .:io so is to enccurc: 5 \3 tne misulE: of ccurt f.rcoess b,y unscru1-ulous t:intra1,ren~urs of the e.::.

,. " " 4 " Having sid wh&t I hve endeavc4red to say abcvi, it is my fin°:ing th2t tnis eo...;.1,ce.l dC!lbS net find msri t ,-i{th this ocurt. It is my holling tht tha deoisjcn of the trial st.Dorinat~ court in acquitting th.;: r-c-s1 on0.s;int on the e.vai L'.bl.:: . evident,;; ias quite I,:COfer and I u..,hold th.:::t docis iL 1 n and. cc,nf irm th.;· acquittal of thb rsondnt. ~~~ t~~ecl is apccdinly dimissiJ. jff6al iismised. I f ; ; : .. • : /:'~• I dff l2/d/9I ltd0JI ·. 1 1 li. D. J.:J:Crii1 i.,LJ,, :illg~! . b/8/ l:;ijl. Coram ~ M. :i:i. lfonalla, J. ].i'or J•.l-'~~lh-.nt

Director of f ut;>lic -roSE:cu:ti..:m- Mr. Jrttor!lY• :t;·or I~c;:isf·on<.l.,nt

1-res"'nt in:. i,;0rs0n. C. c.. Blanca •. Lun1u Stato .2£Y::t'!.r Judgm2nt c.blivcrcl in 01,.,m -court at Lrus.n2. in the P't;Si::nc;.;, of ta arti&s tllis tn e.:x.~L .. im;d. J.lDN/ ~ITli. . . . ' t o1· "' ;· . 8 a 1 1 0-1 ~1gn -~r . ·· :-u;,·ust, :FJ • · l )th r; ··y OI •• 0 C "" --'\ {~~ 1;, T', l\JC LL .. I ,.-J. • ..,. ~~Q!. lZ/8/ 1991. .. ., . 'l'-1 '-