Failure To Consider Submissions Are Not Evidence, Re
Failure To Consider Submissions Are Not Evidence, Re
Failure To Consider Submissions Are Not Evidence, Re
AT MBEYA
(Mambui)
MWAMBEGELE. J.A.:
decision of the High Court in Criminal Appeal No. 133 of 2018 allowing the
appeal of the respondents Josephat Joseph Mushi and Said Omary Sisige
who were convicted by the Court of the Resident Magistrate of Mbeya sitting
at Mbeya of different counts which shall come to light shortly. The Director
of Public Prosecutions has predicated this appeal on two grounds; that is,
one; that the learned trial Judge erred in law and in fact by acquitting the
respondents on the ground that the trial court judgment was invalid for
improper conviction, and two; that the learned trial Judge erred in law and
in fact for holding that the appellant failed to prove its case beyond
reasonable doubt.
At the hearing of the appeal, the appellant appeared through Mr. Saraji
Iboru, learned Principal State Attorney and Mr. Paul Kimweri, learned Senior
Mwakolo and Othman Katuli, learned advocates. The second respondent did
not enter appearance. As the record had it that the second respondent was
defaulted appearance, Mr. Iboru prayed for, and was granted, leave to
proceed with the hearing of the appeal in his absence pursuant to rule 80
(6) of the Tanzania Court of Appeal Rules, 2009. For the avoidance of doubt,
that prayer was not contested by Mr. Mwakolo for the first respondent.
seven others who were acquitted at the trial, were arraigned in the Court of
the Resident Magistrate of Mbeya for seven counts. They all pleaded not
guilty and a full trial ensued. After the full trial, the respondents were
convicted in six counts and sentenced as follows: in the first count, they
57 (1) and 60 (2) & (3) (a) read together with paragraph 4 (1) (a) of the
Economic and Organized Crime Control Act, Cap. 200 of the Laws of
Tanzania and sentenced to a prison term of fifteen years each. The second
count was for the offence of forgery contrary to sections 333, 335 (a) and
337 of the Penal Code and was in respect of the first respondent only. He
was sentenced to serve a prison term of five years. The third count was also
in respect of the first respondent only for the offence of making a false
The fourth count was in respect of both respondents for the offence of
a fine of USD Two thousand five hundred only or imprisonment for three
years each in default. The fifth count for unlawful possession of uncustomed
goods contrary to section 200 (d) (iii) of the East African Community
Customs Management Act, 2004 was for both respondents. Both were
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sentenced to pay a fine of Tshs. 3,632,553/50 or go to jail for three years
each in default. The seventh count was for the offence of occasioning loss
to a specified authority contrary to sections 57 (1) and 60 (2) & (3) (a) of,
read together with paragraph 10 to the first schedule to, the Economic and
Organized Crime Control Act, Cap, 200 of the Laws of Tanzania, It was in
fifteen years each. The prison terms were ordered to run concurrently.
Their appeal to the first appellate court had fourteen grounds of complaint.
However, the High Court condensed the same to six issues as appearing at
p. 657 of the record of appeal on which it decided the appeal. We shall refer
The first ground of appeal, as already shown above, assails the learned
appellate Judge for acquitting the respondents on the ground that the trial
court judgment was invalid for improper conviction. This ground falls within
the scope of the last issue framed by the first appellate court as appearing
in this judgment (infra). The determination of this ground of appeal will not
detain us, for the learned counsel for both parties were not at serious
qualms. While Mr. Iboru submitted that the finding by the first appellate
court was not backed by evidence as the record shows at p. 542 that the
respondents were convicted, the respondents' counsel did not say anything
in response. It is the law in this jurisdiction that after the court hears the
evidence of the complainant and accused person and their witnesses and
finds the accused person guilty, it must, inter alia, convict the accused
of our law. The guidance is provided by section 235 (1) of the Criminal
Procedure Act, Cap. 20 of the Revised Edition, 2022. For easy reference, we
The record of appeal shows that the dispute is not actually on the issue
The first appellate court addressed the issue at some considerable length,
taking six pages of its judgment and concluded that it was an error on the
part of the trial court and, it went on, if it were not for its conclusion that
the case was not proved to the hilt, it would have ordered a retrial but
refrained from taking that course of action because of that previous finding.
We have read the context under which the trial court mentioned the
so, we do not think the trial court meant to say that the respondents were
unreported) cited by the first appellate court to bolster up its argument that
the respondents were not properly convicted were relied upon out of context.
Those cases are authorities for the point that an accused person, after being
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sentenced. They underline the importance of complying with the provisions
of sections 235 (1) and 312 (2) of CPA. In the case at hand, the conviction
recorded at follows:
above, we do not think the trial court meant to state that the respondents
were charged under the provisions but that it was complying with the letter
were properly convicted and the first appellate court should have found and
The second ground of appeal is a general one; that the first appellate
court erred in law and in facts in holding that the appellant failed to prove
its case beyond reasonable doubt. In arguing this ground of appeal, the
learned advocates for the parties, inevitably in our view, reappraised the
evidence adduced at the trial and, while the appellant had taken the position
that the first appellate court should have upheld the findings of the trial
submitting that the first appellate court rightly reversed the decision of the
trial court.
appeal on the basis of the issues framed at p. 657 of the record of appeal.
However, in the course of determination, the first appellate court left some
added others which were not framed. And, as if to add salt to the wound,
the learned counsel for the parties did not have much assistance to the court
on the reasons the first appellate court advanced on the issues on which the
appeal was decided, except for the general issue of whether the prosecution
proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. On this general issue, the learned
counsel for the parties, in their arguments before us, directed their minds to
the evidence adduced before the trial court and fronted the same arguments
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We shall determine the second ground of appeal by first revisiting the
issues on which the first appellate court determined the appeal. On the first
issue, the first appellate court faulted the trial court for not considering both
the prosecution and the defence evidence. The first appellate court scanned
the proceedings of the trial court and concluded at p. 662 of the record of
appeal that the trial court did not consider the defence evidence. The first
concluded that failure to do that was fatal and vitiated the convictions and
sentences meted out to the respondents. We agree with the first appellate
vitiates the ultimate conviction and sentence. However, we do not think that
was the case in the matter before us. We have traversed through the record
of appeal, especially the judgment of the trial court, and discovered that the
sides and, after that, considered the evidence of the appellants before the
verdict - see pp. 518 - 528 and pp. 536 - 542 of the record of appeal. We
are therefore not in agreement with the finding of the first appellate court
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that the trial court failed to consider the defence evidence. On the contrary,
we are of the view that the trial court sufficiently considered the evidence of
the defence and, having so done, it was satisfied that the same did not raise
any reasonable doubt on the prosecution case and dismissed it ruling that
the case was proved against the respondents to the required standard;
the first appellate court erred in holding that the learned trial Senior Resident
The second issue on which the first appellate court decided the appeal
relates to failure of the trial court to consider the written submissions of the
the trial court when composing its judgment and the learned trial Senior
the court finally arrives at, we are alive to the cherished principle of law
founded upon prudence that submissions are not evidence. As such, failure
to consider them is not the same as failure to consider defence as the first
appellate court would have us believe. At pp. 662 - 666 of the record of
appeal, the first appellate court directed its mind to the issue and was of the
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view that failure to consider submissions of the parties was fatal. The first
appellate court equated the ailment with failure to hear a party. We are
afraid we are not prepared to go along with the reasoning and conclusion of
the first appellate court on the issue. As we have already said above,
submissions of the parties are not evidence and therefore failure to consider
(E.A.) Ltd [2002] E.A. 627, Tina & Co. Limited and Two Others v.
Eurafrican Bank (T) Ltd Now Known as BOA Bank (T) Ltd, Civil
Application No. 86 of 2015 and Hotels and Lodges (T) Limited v. The
unreported), to mention but a few. Thus, the first appellate court, in holding
that by not considering the submissions of counsel for the parties, the trial
court deprived the parties of their rights to be heard, slipped into error. The
numerous authorities cited and relied upon by the first appellate court were
not applicable to the matter at hand and thus relied upon out of context.
We, unlike the first appellate court, are of the considered view that the
The third issue was whether the trial court shifted the burden of proof
court started to address this issue at p. 668 but did not conclude it. As such
it was not the basis for its decision. In the premises, we do not find it
The fourth issue was whether the trial magistrate analyzed and
evaluated the evidence and made the decision with reasons. This issue was
addressed by the first appellate court at p. 667 in connection with the first
issue that assailed the trial court for not considering the respondents'
defence. The first appellate court was of the opinion that the judgment of
the trial court did not contain points for determination which omission, it
opined, offended the provisions of section 312 of the CPA. The first appellate
court thus concluded that the omission was fatal. We have already
addressed this point when discussing the first issue above. We have
concluded above that the trial court analyzed the evidence well and properly
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the considered opinion that the judgment of the trial court contained the
has his own. What is relevant is the critical analysis of both the prosecution
In the case at hand, we are satisfied that the trial court composed the
judgment in conformity with the law; all the essential ingredients of the
judgment are there. In the premises, the first appellate court, in our
considered view, erred in holding that the judgment of the first appellate
court did not contain the points for determination, the decision thereon and
the respondents is a general one; whether the prosecution proved the case
against the respondents at the trial beyond reasonable doubt. At the hearing
before us, the learned counsel for both sides addressed this issue with force.
As stated at the beginning of this judgment, they directed their minds to the
We state so because we think the first appellate court did not adequately
subject the evidence adduced at the trial to that scrutiny and reevaluate that
evidence and come to its own conclusion. It was incumbent upon the first
appellate court are supposed to step into the shoes of the first appellate
court and do what it ought to have done. That this is the stance and practice
of the Court has been stated in a number of our previous decisions - see:
Appeal No. 327 of 2019) [2022] TZCA 689 (26 October 2022) TanzLII and
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Omary Hamis @ Mponela & Another v. Republic (Criminal Appeal No.
414 of 2019) [2022] TZCA 451 (20 July 2022) TanzLII, to mention but a few.
situation and, relying on the decision of the erstwhile Court of Appeal for
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scrutiny, which entails considering the defence
evidence before making any finding o fguilty. Where
the trial court fails to do so, the first appellate court
is enjoined to do so in its role to re-evaluate the
whole evidence on record with a view to making its
own findings o f fact either concurring with the trial
court or otherwise where both courts below fail to do
so, the Court has power to step into the shoes o f the
first appellate court and do what that court omitted
to do. See for instance; Director o f Public
Prosecutions v. Jaffari Mfaume Kawawa [1981]
T.L.R. 149, Joseph Leonard Manyota v.
Republic, Criminal Appeal No. 485 o f 2015
(unreported) cited recently in the Court's recent
unreported decision in Yustus Aidan v. Republic,
CriminalAppeal No, 454 o f 2019."
the first appellate court did not do by treating the evidence as a whole and
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We wish to state at this juncture that at the hearing of the appeal, the
was Mr. Kimweri who argued in respect of counts three, four and five. Mr.
Iboru argued in support of the findings on counts one, two and seven. Mr.
Mwakolo responded all the grounds generally, to our minds, rightly so.
convicted. Like the trial court, we shall determine the first count last.
The second count for the offence of forgery contrary to sections 333,
335 (a) and 337 of the Penal Code was in respect of the first respondent
only and, after the trial, he was convicted and sentenced to five years'
imprisonment. The particulars of the offence thereof were that the first
company, the fact which he knew was false. In finding and holding that this
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count was proved beyond reasonable doubt, the trial court relied on the
Mhagama (PW8), Benjamin Kuzaga (PW9), Oddo Mbamba (PW13) and that
was satisfied that Gango Trading Limited was a fictitious company created
the end of its deliberations on this count, the trial court was satisfied that
witnesses that the first respondent was summoned to the scene of crime
where the consignment of fish was being offloaded and he told PW4 that
someone, the owner of the goods being offloaded, was offsetting his debt.
After his office was searched, the documents were found which showed that
the consignment was destined for a neighbouring country under the pretext
that the same belonged to a Zambian company going by the name of Gango
false and therefore forged. The first respondent's defence did not punch
any hole in the prosecution's case against this count. We are satisfied that
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The third count, also in respect of the first respondent only, for the
offence of making a false declaration contrary to section 203 (b) of the East
African Community Customs Management Act, 2004 was also found to have
been proved. The particulars of the offence were that the first respondent
made a false declaration that the goods; that is, 27,560 kilograms of frozen
while in fact that was not true. We have stated when resolving the second
issue that the consignment was offloaded at Mbeya. PW6, a person who
worked with the customs office at Mbeya, testified that the consignment was
declared as one on transit to Lusaka Zambia but the same was offloaded at
that this count was proved, the trial court relied on section 203 (b) of the
East African Customs Management Act, 2004 as well as the case of Mwita
and Others v. Republic [1993] T.L.R. 119 to the effect that the first
respondent's duty was not to prove his defence but to raise a reasonable
count. We also, are of the view that the sentence imposed; a fine of USD
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ten thousand only or imprisonment for three years in default was quite
appropriate.
The fourth count which was in respect of both respondents for the
offence of removing customs seals contrary to section 195 of the East African
Community Customs Management Act, 2004 was also found by the trial court
to have been proved. The particulars of the offence were that the
respondents willfully removed the seals from the container bearing No.
of an authorized customs officer. In proof of this count, the trial court relied
(PW18). The totality of their testimony was that PW1 who was a tagging
(SAATS) was summoned by one Lugano Mwakapala who was the eighth
accused at the trial and made him meet the first respondent at the scene of
which he did. He left with the device to Tunduma where he kept it, perhaps
with a view to showing that the vehicle carrying the consignment had
reached its destination. His testimony was supported by the other witnesses
mentioned above in one way or the other. The trial court was aware that
have it relied upon. The trial court was satisfied, and rightly so to our mind,
above especially PW18, a customs expert who testified that every on-transit
vehicle must be affixed with a customs tracking seal and a device for safety
and protection of the cargo in accordance with the East African Customs
We are satisfied that the trial court correctly evaluated the evidence in
support of this count and arrived at the correct conclusion that the count
was sufficiently proved. The sentence of fine of USD Two thousand five
hundred only or imprisonment for three years each in default was quite
appropriate.
to section 200 (d) (iii) of the East African Community Customs Management
Act, 2004 for both respondents was also, in our view, sufficiently proved
beyond reasonable doubt. Determination of this count will not detain us.
We have already stated above that the consignment of fish was offloaded at
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Mbeya while in fact it was purportedly destined for Lusaka Zambia. The
Control Act in respect of both respondents was found by the trial court to
have been sufficiently proved and to our mind rightly so. We are of such
opinion because with all the preceding counts being proved against the
respondents and it is not disputed that the cargo did not reach the officially
14,530,214/= was not paid to Tanzania Revenue Authority. The trial court
Customs Management Act, 2004 and concluded that the count was proved.
We find nowhere to fault that finding. The sentence of fifteen years each in
contrary to sections 57 (1) and 60 (2) & (3) (a) read together with paragraph
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4 (1) (a) of the Economic and Organized Crime Control Act and sentenced
count were that the respondents, together with others, willfully organized a
count, like the trial court, will not detain us. Having so found in respect of
the second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh counts, that they were proved
beyond reasonable doubt, it follows that the first count was also proved to
that had the first appellate court not abdicated its duty as a first appellate
court to subject the entire evidence to that scrutiny and arrive at its own
conclusion, it would not have faulted the findings of the trial court. We, like
the trial court, are satisfied that the case against the respondents in respect
of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh counts was proved to the
hilt. The first appellate court therefore erred in allowing the appeal by the
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For the reasons we have assigned, we find merit in this appeal by the
decision of the High Court on first appeal and set aside the flanking orders
made. We restore the decision of the trial court and order that the
sentences as ordered by the trial court. For the avoidance of doubt, the
Order Accordingly.
J. C. M. MWAMBEGELE
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
W. B. KOROSSO
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
S. M. RUMANYIKA
JUSTICE OF APPEAL
The Judgment delivered this 24th day of August, 2023 in the presence
of Mr. Dominic Mushi, learned State Attorney for the Appellant, Mr. Simon
Mwakolo, learned counsel for the 1st respondent vide video link from High
Court Mbeya and in the absence of the 2ndrespondent, is hereby certified as
a true copy of the original.
R. W. CHAUNGU
DEPUTY REGISTRAR
COURT OF APPEAL