D. P. P. vs Mathias marva Chacha (HC Criminal Appeal No 28 of 1988) [1990] TZHC 119 (10 October 1990)
Judgment
IH '].lr:ill; III<I.IT COURT OP
1
I'JJ1rz;1nA
AT DAR ES S1Llu:U'[,
11.PPELLATl J"UD.IS".0ICTION
rum! CODTIT CRIMIN!iL Lf'?:i.,;,i.L HO. 2G OF 1900
OTUGET!u, CRIMIN!L c·,_sE HOo 77 0]7 1907
0::::1 TI:'.J :tiISTRICT COu11::1 Cf:
1
Y:IO:JOGORO DISTRICT fl.'.} HOROGORO
versus
lIAS.:Lil!i.3 NJJf.Tli. ClliCIIA ~ ••• • •• • ~ • • • • • • RESPOFDDH'l
1
( ORG. FROS:i;C;uOR)
JUD G 1-1 EH T.
Rcspondc;.1-'c w.lcl hls co-accuscc.l wcr-o n.cqui ttod of tho of:Zcncc of
Sten.ling by P1..t'.bl;ic Servant. c'ontro'.'..I'y to s0ctions 270 nml 265 of tho Penal
(fodc,. In this n.ppc.11 -clic Director of Public ProsGcu"iiio11s is appealing
ainst tho G,()quit·ys bcinc.; kept by
the rcsponclcni. ;D.1e11 lie opened tho cup1)oa.rd on 31/1/87 rcopon~':.cnt found
Ot'!.t that one of t:10 1.Jo·iitlos of .1cxcL1.ry was Dissines. Ilowovcr, -al of tho rcopomlonJc.
It is in t.1.:o record thn.t bo·.h rcsponclont ru1d his co-accused were
Oi.1ployccl by Mti btrri. St\1n.I' Estc.to <'..S storc:.1on. Responclcn-i; wr,s ·ilia overall
incllarc;o of the s~~o:l'c. 11.tionc; othoI" ·ii.J.inc;n, th0rc we.a c1 cupbo::-..rcl in tho
said store. in uhicl1 n.t the ,.mtori2.l ti::10, there wore kop·i; throe bottles
of ncrcu.ry. The l:cys to tho store usoc:.. ·to rotate ootw-0011 tho co-a.caused
n.nd another sforeLu:u.1. Tho cupboo.rcl in ull.icb. the bottles o-: ,.10J:'Clll'Y wore
lcopt used to bo loc:;:ocl with n, pocllocl;: 16oso keys 11'crc rJ.;rhero was no
indication of tho brocidnc of tho store or Jcho cupbo2..Xcl,. But ·l;.hcrc is
evidence tho.,t one clcy previous to t1is cliscovory
9
tho keys -lio tho store
wore rcportcc.l r.rl.nsinc; n.nd this neccssi tatod the chanGi'l'.lG of locks of' all
tho cloors. T'.10 Dn.··t;cr was :roportecl ·co· 1:iolicc which cleciclcd to file this base,
The eVicle11ce QG.Jinst tho rcspontcnt is osscntio.,lly ci1•cu;·.1stai.1tial11
· The keys of the c1..:pboarcl W[tS alwcys boinc; kept by tho .rcsponclont,. As .notcl
,
cn.rlior there iG no succ;ostr-..tion tlrn:l; the cupboard was broken into. Rclyinc
on these s0-:.s of fc..c·t; tho Republic is n.rcuil'lG that rosponclont nust be
responsible fo:r 'llic theft of the sc.ricl bottle of ,.10rcUI-y. Act:ut·iicc.Uy it f.s
not true thti.,t ci:rcu:;.1sJcn.ncial cvidm1cc is by no.tu.re inferior
0
to (:.:i.rect cvic!cnco,.
' ..
On the· contro.:r;/ ·;;ho:rc is a coiJpclli:ac n#cm.1cnt c,dvancccl by so::10
renown ju:rists tho.;i; a·;; "iiir.1cs circL1'.1s·i;aJ1tial evidence is the best oviclcnco.
But in cri □incl cc..scs tl1c voluo of circu;-.1stru1tial evidence is sL1bjcct to
one ir.1port1- q_'Uc.,lificc:.tion. In orclor to support a convicJi;ion such
oircur.1stanticl cvic:.once ;:iust 1:,c incc,pablo of 8XJ3' oJc;hcr rco..sonablc bypcthcs.is
m:copt tho cuiH of ·the accusccl pc:.:-son"i li.pplyinc this qucli:ficdi·on in this
co.so, the question here is whot!:-.cr -;;.:10 fc1..0t that rospom:.011";; :.1D.(.l tho exclusive
pose.,ssion of -1;:10 2::cy of the pod.lock of t21c cupboc.rcl nnC.. ·,;.1.1n.t -i:.hcl'c is no
indication th .. ...,-;; .:hl1e scicl cupboo.rd ho.cl l)oon physically ·t;c,.}pc:rcC. with nccossm;i.ly.-;
load to: no other roc,sonc.blc o:;;:1)lruiticion o:;rnopt that the stic.l 1)oJi;tlo of L10rcu:ry.
wns stofon by -ho rosponc.:ont.o ppo;.1ocl o..bout ono clcy i)Xior to t~10 cllojccl ·;;ho:rt. 'lliero is no
evidence ii.1plicc.:Gil'l(; tho rcsponc1..on•;; with tho saicl tc;:iporr..ry cliso.ppcaranco of
those keys. As n, iTholo the circuz.1s·;;c.noio.l oviclcnco in this cc.,so docs not
' '
load to n.n irrosistc..blc inference t:.12.·c rosponlont is cu:i.1·0;;-
0
of tho allececl
theft.· I rospoc·;;:?ul].y uf;"l.'Oo wi tll -;;110 lon.rnecl tricil nn..:;istro/.;o t:mt prosecution
has failed to es·~b,blis.h tho Gui•l t of Ji;hc rosponclcnt. .ll.ccorcli11cly tllis appeal
is disoissoc.l.
Jt.,·
..___ 4 ~ t .\u.:{. ~
Ci"iac. ·, ii'smrr)
JUDGE.Titl, respect, ·I f'J,1 disinclinccl to n.nswor this
I
question posi ·a vcly. T:io roo1:1 in 1rb.ich. tho cupboo.rd contc..ini11(; the bottle of
ncrcu:ry was. kept w2.s oocossiblc to o·i;hcr uo:J:'kors ·durinG the a.bsoncc of ,the
rcispond.ent. Tho scicl cupbonxd wo.s loclrncl by n.n ordinn.ry Pt'..Cllocl'"..., T'.uc possibil
I • •
of such padlock boil'JC tqnporoc.l wifh by WuJr of other thc..n l)roc.J;::i.11[; is nore thc.n
speculative.,.· I woulc.l 116.ve boon loath fo en,i;ortn.in this possi'uility hn.d. tho
smd bottles of ;·.1orcury been leapt in sucJ1 secure contai11c1·s tis fl.. snf o. . 'Ille
inference of rospomloi1t's cuilt is oven L10ro doubtful by t110 1.mc:;;:plainocl
tor.1poroxy disappon.rtncc of tho ko3 1 s of J;;ho xoon :i,n w).1ich ·;;110 cupbon.rd was
kept. . Tl1is h