Fabian Kumwenda v People (Appeal No. 46/88) [1989] ZMSC 130 (21 November 1989)

'' . i u . - . :.· ·. ,1N THE SUPREME COURT Of. ZAMBIA: ·rr-h~·-1.1·. ,;.'.':,Ape~al-. No. ·46/88,' J2 : •. . ; . . • • • • • • • J ,,. • • ! ., 1 ~~ : • ... · " ... . • . 0# , ~ , ,.,\,,,,.·, . ,~ . , • • , • • • • • .: sr.-utt:e : ·· ·: -. ,-·f, . . ··. .. . , • ' t f • • • • • • I • ' • • . ., .a .• ~: . ' · . I- ~ • .. • ..._:, ' • .. ,.,; ' .· , """ ~ . • . .·. . • .. ••.•• • ' ;. £.1.'J,rJU c, .. ·. 'T., .... . 1··• •. "h• . ., ........ ~ . . . . . '. Y.:t'.',"tr,:::•l\ l t'' r,, •' · • : • \.,',,,: • ··.•iv ">l H CR ,,. • , '-",-• V . '.. ";...."i,i··· ,·r·· .• 1.; ~ 1, ; , ,. ·..: ,. Q . MJ ,=,'•··•: :~.: ••tr~•~.:, . • . · . , • v~ v . \ .1~ 1 :,-..,, ,, ·' •.• . ... r ..... ' ~ABI_AN. KU~EN~~ · .. .. ,·:··. :~ ·: :.'. : ... :Appeqan~ ·,. · •!!°JOLOEN ·AT .. JLU. SAKA,!'r.it.1 M•$ · i.rhi<:h r~·ou 1~ · hav~ lr-.. ~• :,·;/~~1 •~.~·1.·;:~;, ·~-~... • . . •'~•;;. ;·, .....,.._ · ....... .,. ~- "' ,_.,,,,J,rv 1'':· ; . . ~Shh 1 .,.: · 3".i: -. f ·..,/,\~.:-•t•,.-•;1 ~,rfc11-;t wa$·that. -at tM·,tj:11~;\~!lU}P-\tWe'. "-~-·. · ;1·••1,r-·{·h;~~.·1t=>';!:~~1t; ·t,.:, ·;.,,,.;..,, .. · . . :·· .. ; ··t· • <I •• ,i•t•~;< .,.fi'; ,:;' -.1•,;., ' • :':/ ·:i "'-~ .. :···:·\ . · \J,. : ... (• .;. • · · I. ·· CORAM' . Ga~dner. ~~.s .. Chaila and ... La~ren9e,.; .. ~~. S.:•::.-:~L;··.:r,: .· ··_-·< · : . . ···: ·df :~i•;;)•·,r t°-'r •·i:.1 ,. • , .. ' •. \ 1;:;;i "". l!"'f1V r•r:::,i,,...\, a , l! ... ,.,"' ·.,.,,.., ·o~··~~,.., .. ~t·lli~t~~1,.c~,·,~i i~tA0:· ;:~(rd~· i.: ··:.-> .. ·: .. :·· :;_:: F~ Kasonde ·. ?f Ituna Partners for·.t~e .a_pp~.1:uo:t ?\ · . . : . ~ .. ··· ·\~n·•:•:•: . : : , , ..... h .•.· "·· .. . . .. ,.::. ~ f•U t<,. h'•V,1' t.pl\':"· G. s·~ Phiri, · Senior State Auvocate for .. t~~· ... ~~-'~·~t°\(·~: ·}.: :-.-.. .·,. =. · •.,.(._:,: ·.::' :· . . ~·:> -~,;<r al •~:•·~ p~y._?nr -~~ rfei+.'..0~$'·.'.~f:~~¼ .. t~dtJt.rid:·1·,·:·\< . . •, ' •, .. ~ . t.-, t.:1c \ r~un l. sr·~-~ l. / ~ .... / · t··~:·;/'r·~~~:i~·~,tt~J'~.:tt ) ~-:,,.-:,..:· · .•' .''. ,. · .. ·· ': ·. ·.:t . r.o T.11etr- r eg1Jle2~·1fl~.!llf~i!-· 1:~1ni.i'g':,v:a,;•''.:-;,i;-,;;i:..au~fi •'.-t-hA"""':·' .. ··· •, S1," NOYwmuerr.•1:,0 -l ,. J:,r~P-t , ''1, •"f• ',,,,,"'(:~"' o\J\1111: ' ~•f• l•l•~•~ •'•' • ' • -~ Ci"!. T t?f'cP.' l.r• 't,lei'it y · r~iti l'c!l/;•:W,\, ~t~~~··ttr~r• r .,~,~ . '• ,. ; • ·, '·, r1 , At till~ tirO~ tM'i"e N~j•~ ~1£t,n~nthJ. SWJS . . ',~ ·:•n\i' ~f\•b ~. e· ~if,t-•~1,,lllff-'¥:i~. J1·~·.,~.ff.s· th' th1f ' .-,: . , .. -,.._:: .. ,.:.1 . • ~· .... ~;- . ·Respondent ' ·. :· . ,to• . THE. PEO~L~·.- · .usti~: J '(' up1. H (,r•~- ~ .. . : ·:' . • ... ; ~,--.: ~ -~ ..... l , . ; . ' 'J.,.:r :· :.(. o/'"i .... ·: ·~~·\· .. :·\'·"·~ •• . · n.r·: \ . ,.;. ;_. ·' , , ... ,i :.~1 ·u •, '_ . t ~ • • · · ' . ' 1•· • 1 r~, . . ;<r-::'-, ( . ••• • .~ i . • • • • .• . • • : 1 .. • t . . . •·. •• -f t. ' ; , . • ' \ · • • t \ • • • • # ' • ,. ., ' . • · J u·p· G M"E N' T 11 • .-ff.\.,~,,..,.111.illJ'l.lf. ,., .. : •• • ·•: , • ., . .. . . ·. . . . · .. _; ~-:: :_;_:·,: .. :\~'.:"-n:~2.:.:: .. :.~. .:: -: ·: > . . . . ', ::Gardner..::i"!.i,J .• S •. :~.e.l,~J,e(~~ p,Je1,~u_e9~}i,Q~f~~f.~li&~:-/.-~~-.1-~·~iJ. I~A~·-.... : ':·· .: // ·-~·:.·· .• :;, ·•::,::\·,.:·.;.:t'.~'!· ;' \ .:,· ·· : ··., .. :,·· ·._.;),:'i:i', , ... ; __ .,r.·. .' .: · . ... .- -~'f, ·.·' The aj)pellant~wlth. two··ottiers.i was·~cpnv.l~~ed•,ont:pnej ~oun:tidur.fL, ·· · ,, .;· ,' ·.... ' · of- abuse ' of authority/ r cootrary.i to ·,Section>199(-1')J:,of~l:tl\e-. . P,,r:-ahtode. · .· . P:en~· one count of··attempte• 'abuse ;_o~ -•~th~tlt)f,.1;11h•.1i·P~~_IG. Ulat:,SjJ.t,, . ; · .,.:·.,,-, ··>.t .·, ... : ~(=:•~•• , .. ~,, .. ~:~= J ~! ... ,: , . .. · --':·-. . ·,.. . . · . , . ·, · :. . • ' ' •. , . ,I,'•• : • , · . , (.' • • • • o o •• • • . 1 • • • • • • • • • • ' i J • • I : • ' I • • • • • t t • 1 • • • ' ' , I I • • • • • • ' • It •• ~ • 1 • ,, ''{. • ,,.,: . p . . • • . 1 .. . . • • • ,•, ~>l . • . ••'"'1'\: "••~"';< •• •• . : ~:''· •, ... : ' .. . '; .. ·: ·. ·I':·: :·,. ·' ·: . . . ··. · -, of '~he fl rst · chai-ge; were 1that:\t~e (~p)iel} ~•+:~J,Ji)~~~;(~~: ' : : .' ·: : ;' , ..•• l~"the' 'date. ·unknown' ~~t; "between: .. t~e t1 otri· ~iQ~ fr~~;'r~~i~~~~~,tr ,; vlt~(~iii; ': . . . · . .'' tl.?at· LU.$1~~-.,.., being -~parso~s:·,~P.lO,Y~c;f. ti.~ (~h~.-/~u~J _(czS~v.l~~~~.,~~P .. <>11 q~: . . : . ; : _. r,rQff!cer 'ond ~Chief. Mechanlca.l : ~uperltntend~nt'~:· :~_o. J11,~i¥i f-ij~~:iw.t1q~;~~i,t~. :·? ' ·: 11).cti11g in-abuse ·or authorlty'tof1.their l.off.i.~~s~ t-p_ur,,~h_.,,d.,rt~9:q~y-nJn~ · .. : , ,: t: ·moto~ .. veh l c le.'battart· es :·ind·:. f our'.h~r.~r~~·i;,~~-~~w~~-~~i-f~~~;: ~t~~- : : .. _'. . ·. ·;} .. \-.'''from sta~da~_d'Auto Servlcesrst~tlon·l:atilli.nfi~t~d~p;rlc~/s~{~sie~~~sted: , .,,, -111 of purchasing'"from··,reconnended~sources:,\:namelyi~ ·lde,iZ«mt>la ~pmited. <,'If' ~nd. Dunlop Zambl a' Llml ~ed ~- .wh l ch;wa~~l)~~j ~-~-1~1a:1:e_~;~:tb~,i ~t,r~~~. . . . S()~f'-thiGovernment·;1n~that'.:~h~":-'~v.e~nmel)ts01~ihei~~:p~~Jlc~~fti~ia . · s~•1o·st e sum of -K128,493-65 •. Th&. partl~~lars·,o,·· t_he ·sec:ond·- char'ge · · ~•, :~•:.''•:..:~r .. ::/ •• '/ ••• ••. •' ;, were that the appellant\ and'. two· o.th~rs'l betwee~r29th1ao<11t30.t ,~·-of . c; :'.· D,ecember t 1986't at 'LU-Saka\:·: bai'ilg -'persons,' employed ·.ln \the.'. P,ub.liC:: ... . ·- Service as aforesaid in :·abuse of ,:thelr1 offices: :di<;l·:a\~~pt·:to::PU_rch~se . . . • fl v~ ~1_:1n~r~d t1:Jbes and. f 1 ~e hundred tyres f.r,om ,Jt.atj~t1)'.'~_ .. ~uto Serv ic.~ •••, ·-• , . •• .:s •• C ~~-::: • 1-· ~ ,, '- . . . . . , •::t l~\ •: ~. •• .•. :t'- '• · . • ·· · · . ' ~,_., , : .:" • . ' • , · ,•, . · ,: -~ • •.' • • • . . •\ ' I .• ' . • ·,. ' : , • , ~ • • •• • •. '•• ' ' ' • • • • • • • • • . . .~ . I .' • . . . , ' ' ' ' To • • I ' . . .- .· . - · .. ·~ :_ :--;·.::._ -:-. ,.:·.·;.~ •·~. •·. ' - . . .. . . ... 2/...... . . . ,// t -i ;!;:.:~: . . . '' .. ·-,;,;-:·_>\.;::-;,-·_ ' ·. ; • • J ·.,2· • ' ~ u • . . . . . . . . .. . . 1 , 1' ' ' , , , : ; ' ' I I I • • • • • , t 1 0 ,• • • • • • • • • . • • •, ' : • • • • • .., ,_ ,o • . 1 . , . ' : . . I ••' 'f' •,, •' ,,. l ,\;";--'~•, ', : •,,,:' ,•\".,.;;,~,:,, •~•, / /•• •1•' :; ~\, .. ~;,•:.- at inf 1.'ate~"' 'prices ' 1'nstead ·or purc'has'.l ng \ from~:tha: 'ric'o~~nd~d f ~ource. ,. Dunlop Z11mb1a· Limlted~1and~whJ.'cht wo:uid ha.'veiciosi ~13a~·934,~io·~the.{~ . Gover~ment:' Of "the1 Re~ubltchof' tim&\~~nt \t.lt$ h·ipi~~~f !,~$-~p11~tb~~ ' ., :·: :'·, · ,, :-:),· ,-:.·· ~ 'rhe prosec'utto'n1ev1dente wisith'at/ 1a~'ithe~t•i~~~h·e·n:··rh~ret&s~ . . ·: . ·.·_· wa~ an ~mergency' ; th_e~pol 1ce 1f.orcet..~r.ge~~l~-~eq~·1ri,1;~~~P:~.1:·\{~el1~~-r~ . vehicles on ·the ' road~r!I At .,the 'ttme'i~here' ~ete ·suli~ta'~tia1;•s·~ms1 ~'t~ / :: ' ... -·~ •\'.: ... . .. :·. ·. ~. . ' ' of ' money owing t"o thelr., regtilar-suppl iers/ {'. Ho~ev~r:~because.,there was an emergency,·· a· large sum of•money 'wasr'm~de·'~v,aT1·~~1e?·~hl~ht: ·. could have been us~ tQJpayY•both~:thi{ out1ptand{.ng'.!arre~rs~ to··the. usual·· suppliers and' olso·_,to1 piy'tfor. ~he: new·;,good{ t~af were .required. · , .. . I~stead 'of .going''to 1 the ~suaP'iuppilir~-;fh.~t·:~~¥!1_;1~i~;d~;wtioW~$:_ ·,,' . :, : , .. was acquitted~ and· ·the\ secon~·;acc~!~ij( ~~6~~-h:~;~·~'tri~·~-~-1~~~~efitS~::· ·· ··. ·. ·:· to'i tHe :suppliers ·referred ·to\'in the~charges~~·no£.v'b~!hg•1titiel_regular~·- :: ·,' suppliers, and did not g~' thro~gh .. thet'riec~·i~~~;~pi~~h1i~i~·g11~~dcei~re, . ·· .. nor, after they had. completed ~he . transacttons,-, did'· they .a'sk ·tor··· : .. · . · . .. · . . '•..... • • • ,' i • · · . . ". : • •, ,• ·J,.· · . · . ~ ~. · • ' . ·. . .- . • . . . . . ... . . . j. i j •t •: :. • l · t ,-. .~ • ~ ' • .. , . . , . ': •, • ! ",: :,; i I' o .. , : •~ : .. • 0 • • ~ I I I O ' ~ ~ I • • • • • • ,: • .,._; :, . • • • / •, ' ' • • ! I O O ' t . , • • • • o o : I : : ; t • • • " • • • • ' ' ' f 11 10 'i ,•~ -=-~:"•~!:.:,,,. • J• ' • •• . . . . •~ • .. ; • • • · , I • I • • • ,. ' • • , • • • . . · : ha·d mad.(!~'-"; As · a·:·result· ', :· ., -; permission to cover the 'purc:hases whlc.h.;-,they', . · . -~• .i .. • of this, according to ··th.e prosecution .wttness~s : ·.a ... gr._eat ·ciea1_· · ..... !: ... ··:·. •.· .: ' , of sales tax whtch 'would · not, have .. been :payabt.e :if it1~;-u·su·~1 supplies·. ·_ . _:_ . ····. had been made, became piyable to th' Governmentl4nd;~·.somewhat"' ·· contradictorily, the pro~ecut19n alleged: rhai;)t~:~:}:r~; f'tb~llG9ye~~n~· . . . · _. · .. ·._ .. \t:·1•.::. ,,~ ... ;: .. ·'· '.~ :., : ....... ..._;.-,• - ' .· ..... -,...,._ . . :""-:vlJ.:,c; had lost that money. The ,vtdence. was .. that 1th·e,..ftrst .. iappeJ1ant :-··1 •~•.,. I ': .• •, • ,~?t~-~; ', '••, • .. •. •• • • ·- ,....,....,......._ ..... _,_~_ .. . . ~G. ~UPRt:. M_E L:OH{ l .. ' . · ,_ . _:,._ . • \ . : I , . • : . • " ' • • • l :· ·. : , . • _ . : . . • • • ' • ,,. · . ' •, . - : ,. • • , • • • • • • • • • • • : I I ' ' _and the second appellant approached the pr~$en:t. appellant, w:ho · -. t • ·• • .. , • • , , .1111 · • •·-:.j ♦ ·;.. e • -. .. ., - ,. a • ~ ' was in charge of the garage of the po,Hce,,otsa111;~JJpn ~. and requested ' him ~o accompany them. to show them what ~was\~requi:re,t i'n!ttie way. · of batteries and spares • . In consequence of ;ttU~---·S:-e<iuest: ~e did . so, but he took no part whatsoever ln the ·actual 0purchase.·o·f"the . · ·:. . .. . . ' . •. •~ : • , • • • _' . . ' • •, ' \ ' ; •• • • I , I • ' ' • • J ' • • ' ' • • , ' ' · .-,'\ • . k~ L'VJREMCE . · _. · SVPREME·.·cduRf.;~iJoGE · · ·:··· -· • spares. ' • ' I Mr. Kasonde on behalr of the, appellc1,nt,:-ba$ ·putjn· a. number.\,! • - ; f . /loll! - , I • ' . .. ' ,. . . ' '.' • . of grounds· of appeal which 1n effect are ~at··_there)s. no ·.evidence . that this ·appellant wa$ himself connected with:~he t'~regul,rpurchases ... -: . · . · ... ~ .' ' .. •, . . . . .. . ' ' ' ' ' . . . · .. • • .,.;. . < •>; -/J\••;,:: ·:'.•...:.,,:·;::,:,. '. :, . . .. . / 1 • 1,1.••···' ••t•, ,'!i,~ •. ,,,,ftY,./3 •. . ·• '!,'. t,:,J.,::~!,:4•~::,~•• !:;\i~:,.\,t , ~.~ ~-••~I:~•· •• I ~ •'- • • ... . .. /·•. :::~·.-.·r.-v~~-~:.:: .~~~~/. ~_::•-~·, ··; .'>·<_ ... _.<~ .~} . '!,:", •'!•'~-:.-~•~~-••,·.~, .... : ', ' \~~ .. , .... . ' I I ,. I ~ • • • • • • • " ' . ... • • • ,,,_ •• ' • . ► - ~. • ~ • .:, • • • . . > ~ , ' • .. • - • · - • .. •· •, . ,· • · •• ~ •,1 : . I ·: ·I ' ' I ' " ' I ' ' : ,. i . \