Wilbert Shauri Makoye and Others vs Republic (Criminal Appeal No. 47 of 1988) [1991] TZHC 2744 (12 August 1991)

DJ Tit:: HIGH COURT OF T.i.JJZANIA AT DJDOisU. CRIMW.L.L A:.T'.,1;.AL No • 47 OF 1988 (From the decision of the District Court of Doaor.ia. at Dod.oua in Crir:u.nal Cas8 No. 155 of 1987) Before: A.Ji.. Rutochura, J.'Jsq., District 11n5istro.t0 1 • WILBERT SIL URI lVIti.KOYE •••••••••••••••••• ) 8. e JUr!Il.~ H.t.BSiI • C. O -0 • 0 0 0 t O Cl O O •• 0 0 0 • e e G ♦ 0 0 • ) lu??Il!LL!:..NTS 3 • Li..Zl:.RO SOi'JGORO ••••••••••••••••••••••• o) versus TI-18 R8i'UBLIC ot•11toooeoo•o••••••••o••o••• RESPOISJ:OEl.T JUDGMENT Jg The appellGnts, Wilb0rt Shauri M,.'J.koyc, Jurm Hassan .:::.nd Lazaro Son(,;oro, who w0re the first, second D.nJ. third n.ccus,:,d, respvctivoly, wore jointly charged with, m1d convicfod cf, st0r.ling by sc:-rvo.nt. ThoJr w0rc each scnt0nc0d to inprisomwnt fer five yc-:o:rs. Th0y wcr0 c.lso ordorcd to pay G0Tip..:nsa.ti.on shs, 3; 192/ to the con1:ilr:-,immt" The ar;;J0nls which ar0 consolidtod, aro ncinst th0 conviction snd s0ntonco. All tho appollGnts were c1:1ploy0e;s of a charity organiso.tion lr.11oi-m as Missionery Aviation F01lowship, c.nd thvy wor0 stdion:::d c..t Dodor:ia. Tl10y wore wc.tchm.cn. Tho }:)Olice hc.d. rccoiv0d inforr:io.tion that th0r0 wore plnns bing o.rr.:111god by son(.; unlmown pGo:i;,le to st0n.l buildinc r.mtcric.ls fron tl:0 site c..t which tho n.;;:ellonts were: workin_s 2.s wc.tch.uon. lm nnbush wc:-,a o.rrDnG\1d. On the ni 0 ht of 14th i1pril, 1987 o.t 2,bout a.45 p.1:1. police v.L.f.1.l!,.:rs position8d thor.1'38lVOS n.::ar the fc:,ncGcl conyouncl. They saw 0, tcxi which WM tra.vellin:_:: · fron t10 oi to. ·l1J.1c: to.xi wc:cit c.way, c .. .ncl 1-1hun the I :polic2 offic(.n:'s w,.mt to the si tc, tlwy found o.11 th0 c.ypcll.:i . .nts who said tha:L the v .. :hicl0 bolons"'d to th-.)ir cr.1:i:)loy0r who h:·,J. 1iOfoJ thoro to inspoct tha :,)rcr.iis2s. Tho contcii.n,Jrc whor0 buildin& na.torio..ls i,r.Jr·) k0pt, wuro t fou.'1.cl intc..ct, 2.J.,d properly loc]~od. Tlw c:::.:pollc:.nts ·H0ro sc;ixch.0d., The first c..ccusvd hc,J. c2Sh shs. 3,800/=. He said it wc,s hiG s::-;lc.ry. He r.:io..intuin,':d thd at his trio.l. Th0 c,p)oll,'lYGS w0ro convict;:"!. on tho bc..sis of t.., ocution:.::d. stntGL1ont o::.do by th-.:: first c.ccus;;;ci.. to the polic0.

2 In that stctuncnt, th.;, fist ::'..ccus0d. c,1,-:ii ttcc:d. thc.:ft of tih.:s fror.:J. the contc..iner c.n<l. that tI-10 pGoplu who h2.d duplic.:-..to keys, hQd stolen tho tifos in the presence of o .. nd with th0 l'.kruission of th0 first, second Md. thhd n.ccusod. Thor,:, W,;.S uvid(mcc by PW .1 John Dcvid Halls, c.. oonetrul!)t1on · aup0rvisor -:-f tho firr.1 thd whon ho u.nlock;.,d. the contcinor on th:, d2..y c.ft;;r th.:: th.::,ft, h2 f cuncl thc,t ninu coxes containin tiles hr...d biK,n stolen.~ He did not know the price of the stolen tiles, but he said thn.t each box contained seventy-five tiles. All the apcllants denicid the chc;rge, nnd the first c..ccusGd retra.cted the confession. As it con be seen, the confession by tlw first c..ccused f ora:.:d tJ.1.:: bcsis of tb:i c::.nvicticn of c,11 th:.: C.?J.-il:llants. IJ."'110 first 2,ccuse:a., hm..,rcvcr ~ rctrc.cted tho.t confession d.urin_:; th-:: trid. It is unsa.fe to br..se a conviction on a retracted confession without corroboration. Thie is so, especially when thC:: ap:i_)Clk..nts llad, rie;l,t fron the beginnin3, doniod tho theft. T'no find.inc; of cc.sh shs. 3,800/= \·Jith tho first c.ccusod · cr-r>·. be consiirGd :::.s cdrro born.ti on bucr-,u..s0 thorv w2.,s no :lis ._ ute that thv fir. ~ . accus(.;icl hc.d rocei v0J sc.lD..ry tho.t :la.y. 1l 1 hor& wo.s no ovi:lunc,:;- th::-,t th0 n-<'pGllo.nts he:.1.l duplicc.te :coys to th.; contc,in0rs fron t-.,hich the tilus wur· stolzm. 11s rr:-,gnrJ.s th0 s00:.md .:mi',. third r.ccus-C'l, it soens thoy were coJ,1vir sinply bvcc-,usc they wur0 foun.:1. on duty tlr.t ni_;i1t. It wc..s -.frone in l:" · to convict th0:.1 in thc,30 circur.1stc.l1C,)S. 'rnc confcssi::m by tho first o.ccu.s could not bo" c.,sis to convict th0 second 3Ild third accused b.)cc.,use tlnt confession ,-re..s rctre.ctod by t:10 first c.ocuscd., one: tl1oro 1t1c.s no corrobortion. In o:ny CM0p c.s provi0d in s0cti0n 33(2) of thG Evidence Act, 11 a cc,,nviction ;.1f on accus•::d p:::.:rson shcll not be bnsed sol:.:ly on tho confession of a co-o.ccuscd. 11 For tho r00.sons Given, I o..e;ree with Hr. l.lir.n•rikG, LJorn8d counsel for the aj7cllc..nts, n.ncl !-ir. Mwc..::i1lo, learn:::d State ,lttorrnJy concod.es, thc.t the :;,.;ros0cution did not ::,rov0 the ch::r:3-a C',.'-_}:1inst t:1e 2..1/JGUo..nts. Th0 aYpcr.'..ls c.rc n.llowo-:1. '.11J10 convictLm which is not su:;;i1:,orted by · the R0public is q_uo.ohad an:1 tl10 sonte1c0s c..ro set n.side. Th-: ap:;;i011.:.:at9 ) lawfully hdc1. A.'r D.j)J:1-11:.. 12/8/91 i'li;r. Ndun0 uru, Sto.to L ttc.rnoy, Hr. i1.li;·.11.-1iI:0, c'-.1-1.11sol fer thc1 .....