Hamis Mashiri vs Republic (High Court Criminal Appeal No. 77 of 1988) [1988] TZHC 55 (1 August 1988)

I • Tif TE::} IIIGI-I COUT OF T.l'JJZJJHJ ... LT nu:J\JZl .. HIGII COURT Cilil![Ilif:J., :J'PE!.l., NO., 77 OF 1988 ORIGJNl.L CRDUifl.L ClSE NOe. 33 OF 1987 ' OF TTIE DISTRICT COURT OF :rITJ/..NZA DISTRICT .t:.T r.mlJJZL. . , Jloforo MUT::JG, 'EoK.,, Esq., DISTRICT M.!.GISTr,.LT:C IUJJIS l,i,,"...SIIIRio ·o o & o o o o 6 o o o a o o o ~ o o o o e o o o o e tt o o o o o o o o o o o o. o o o • o e o o o ·a: • o d 1.l'I':JLL:.JJT . (Oriuinal Lccusod) ·, THE UNITED PJDPTJDLIC • .,". ·•., o •• .,.,.,.,. a • ., • ., ••• e ••• ., •••••• o ••• • ~ o o., o., .:u:-:::;:;;PONDENT (Original Pros;cutor) , I JUDGr1ENT S::::XCTJLE 2 . Jo Tho appollont Hc.nis Iviaslliri w0,s cl1c,:;..cod and convictoc1 by 'bo District• Court of Mwanza District in Crfoind C0,so Ifoo 533 of 1987 of tLo offonco of store breaking and stealing, contrcxy' to .Section 296(i) of tho Ponal Code. :S:9 ·was jointy chnreocl wi.th one Julius 'Jr:,r1burr.., U:.,•.burn was L.owcvor. <:,¢quitted at tl::..o ond of the trialo Tl.10 ;:,,ppollru1t was sentenced .to 5 yoo.rs im1,J:-iso11L1ont. Ho is now ,:i,p1,0aling 2..,gainst both conviction nncl sontonco 0 t Tho back g-round of tlio caso is th;:,,t Josoph Chonc;o who tostifiod as PWl at tho tri2,l owned and oporatod. o., cc,rngo called "Ilongora" ·e..t Mo.,batini in Mwanza town. " On tho 6th of l.U@.l.st 1987 at o.l)out 6. ?fJ P• □ o ho closed his co:r2,go and left for· honoo Ho loft a t,er,1porc•.,cy rntch1n.n at tho pro □ isoso ;;.s tho regular ono had a sick child ancl did not thoroforo report on duty• IIo socuroly locked tho door to tho storo 1Joforo· ho left. No:ict norninc;. howovor, ,ho found tho door to tho storo LD..d boon tonporod with. Tho bolts holcling tho padlock wcro loose. ITo cntor'oc.1 tho store and upon checking a.110- taking an inventory of th things therein, ho fo1.md out that tyros and 2.11 al tornatocL" had boon stoleno Tho tcnpo:l:'ary w,,:cl1no.n ·had or . also disapporod rilld ho hns not boon soon/tracorl sinco then •. . He did ·not toll tho other wo1,kors • w10 woro thon pro sent 2,,;)out this incident to avoid loakego of infornationo IIo started carryins out Lis own investigation., .. Later on tho,t smo day ho found tl:o appellant selling two tyros at up , . . a piok{stand in town. _ Ho idontifoc~ t~c.o tyros to lJo his property ru1cl wero 8.llOllg tho thil'lf;s thci,t wore stolon froa his pxor:11sos tho ::,,rovious nic;M.

.. 0 2 ,Joso:;1h CLonco t.l:i.on offorocl to by tho tyros., T:~u c.:)pollo.nt told llin that ho ,m,s solling tl10 tyros G.t s:.;.s.,5,500/= o:-,,ch. li.ft1;r sonc nq;otfo,tions, tho ap£lOll211.t rod.ucod tl.10 :;:irico to s~~s.5,000/= 11or t:r.co., P~·i 1 tLon crcn.tod an excuse 1Jo:foro ::,;i2,ying for tho two tyros onc1 ::,rocooclo<J. to tho ?olico to rcpoi't tho r.mttor. Ho cru:-:o 1r,ck wit:.'. r::. police officer o,ncl tl:o a.ppollwt Wr'..S arrostode· I Tho c\Pl)Olln.nt told tLo police officer t:.nt t: .• o tyros wo1O civon to hio to sell lJy :Tnnbi.lr:J, and thn.t .ho Has sollinc; t)·,.o_ sc-;.10 on l::ioLclf of tho · 9 n.cl ltaobmno .. It wr1s also PW 1 1 s ovidonco j_n cross ox,o: 1 in1:,tior;. 1Jy tho appellant t:12.t t'..·.o tyres wo:;'o dis:;;:,ln,yoc. openly c..nc7: t2.t wltcn P':-i 1 told tl:o appoll011t t:c.t ho wr.i.s goinc to 1 :;ot tLo □ ohoy to 1 1cy fo:c' tl10 tyro QJ'.ld ho wont awcy 1 ho found tho tyres still on display vr:·.on ~:'.o ctLo l:i2,ck 0 A.ncl accord.inc to Lin :le l.>oliovoc.l tl-:.~t tho n.;:ipollc111t :;:,cl_ toon [;ivon tho SG,id tyro to soll. • At t]lo htl.'..1.Xing of tl~o ,::,:;,11onl t~!o c.:;;ipollent Hr-s _ rwt pro_scnt as :10 h2,d indic::-,tod tlmt l:o clicl not wis.1 to 1Jo prosont. rh·o H;1,l2.r.iii!:1r-. J o:i..,nor.l St::ito Attorney ro:i)rosontrd -tho Rcpublico r-u-. r-1.'.'-lr::nshc.. tleclinccl to SU] 1 port tho ,\ conviction in tU.s c2-sco IIe sutnittod thnt on t:e oto.to of· t:o oviclonco 1 it was not 1-iossiblo · to sny n.ncl sto..to without cloubt. t1n-t t~~o C,i)foll2.nt was tho thief or tl .. d Lo wc,s c, 1x1rt;y- to tho brcckinc of t 1 .:.o sto:rc in t::..is c0,so \ in tho li 0 ht of tl:e disap:ponr;cnco of the watcLrmn F,.nQ tl:o c.nr,ollo.,.'lt 1 s account - . ·: .. -:·. ::;· . , .. ' .. Ml,'. il'i,J2ns:.a throforo n.re;uod tLo.t at bost t::.o r·;:ip·ollant could hn,vo boon a guilty .roco i vor. · He ):.owovor f'urtl:.or suh:1i ttocl th:1t tl:is off on co ·wn,s also not toncl,lo on tho oviclonco on :record, in :;)2J.:'tic1...u.:i.r when tho conduct of tho apj)Olfo . .nt · is considorocl. Ee ltc.,d openly c1.is:;,Lwo-cl tho tyros for o;ny- bocly to SOOo 'This tlJ.eroforo shows thnt ho dicl not know that tLo S/'l..IJG ha.cl boon feloniously o btaincd.. ' Wit1 respect I neroo with lviro M>-.lc:;::1sl.m' s su"1ni8sion'l I ru-.1 of tho settled opinion thnt tho ler .. rnocl triru. Mn. 0:l.str;,:-..to cc.xofully oxminod and scrutin:i.:,.,ed. t:10 ovidonco t'.,8..t wr..s c,dducod, )~o 1rc,ul<7.. llavo found thnt I there was no sufficient oviclonce to justify tho conviction of tllo arpellant on tho preferred cb.argo of storo bronkin.; nnd .stodinc;o , .At bost encl ns ) rightly ro.intod · out by tLo lo:1rnocl ,3tat0 .A.ttornc;ir, ~.to could. havo boon a gull ty rocoi vor in terns of soct ion 311 ( 1) of th0 ?ono.l Codo· 0 IIis conduction howqvor soons to s:1ou t;:2.t ',o clic: not know th:::.t the tyres woro sto:ton pro,porty; for ot:~orwiso how coulcl ::o ~1c.1.vc 1lis11leyod t thoz;i snne openly o..nd at sucl: a 1m1;lic placo l:i.ko ,:,, pick U:;_) sto;ad if ho know that they 1"02,el boon feloniously obtv..inodo

..,, - • ' . ., .. 3 ,, In n;r vimi llis conduct ronclcrs support to ::.:ii::: cL1io t:· .. at tho tyros wore given to l:in ond that ho innocently ropoivccl tl:o scr.10 to s011 · o,nrl hi_s cxplonation in thoso circuuste.ncos could roi'.SOD[l.l:,ly :Jo true. , · I cr.1 t:orcfore satisfied tha,t this. a:;:,penl_l1::.s norits oncl it is hereby allowed., TLo conviction is quashed. r..ncl tl:0 · sentence is sot asido 0 Tl:o a.}.)pollc..nt is to be 1-elor:::,sod unless otherwise · 1awf'ully· holcl •. AT MW.ANZA. 1st Allt:.,"Ust, 1988 JUDGEo .. ··: ' Delivered on -the presence C?f M:iio Mal;;:,msha· - Stafo Atto:mey, this 1st dfW of .A:ugust, 1988. AT MWANZA. 1st August, 1988 . ',} 1-J'., IL, SEIW.LE JU])GE. · , ' ,