REJEA MUHIMU: 17.10.2023
Pale aliyeshikiliwa na Polisi kinyume na sheria akashinda ombi lake la kufikishwa mahakamani kutoka anaposhikiliwa :
Habeas Corpus / Mlete Mtuhumiwa Mahakamani
Pale mahakama kuu ilipokubaliana na mleta maombi ya kutaka Mahakama Kuu itamke ameshikiliwa isivyo halali kisheria na kikatiba :
Pale jaji W.P. Dyansobera alipotoa hukumu kuwa mtuhumiwa anashikiliwa kinyume na sheria :
IN THE HIGH COURT OF TANZANIA
(DAR ES SALAAM DISTRICT REGISTRY)
AT PAR ES SALAAM
MISCELLANEOUS CRIMINAL APPLICATION NO. 132 OF 2023
ZAKARIA ANTHONY KAPAMA...................... APPLICANT
VERSUS
OFFICER COMMANDING STATION
OYSTERBAY(OCS)...........1st RESPONDENT
REGIONAL POLICE COMMANDER
OF KINONDONI..................... 2nd RESPONDENT
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE OF TANZANIA..... 3rd RESPONDENT
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL............4th RESPONDENT
RULING
16th & 17th October, 2023
DYANSOBERA, J.:
This is an application filed under Section 390 (1) (a) and (b) of the
Criminal Procedure Act [Cap.20 R.E.2022] whereby the applicant herein is seeking the following orders:
1. That this Honourable court be pleased to order the applicant
be released from the unlawful custody or detention of the
respondents forthwith.
2. That in the alternative thereof, this Honourable court be
pleased to order the appearance of the respondent before this
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Honourable Court to show cause why the corpus of the
applicant who is unlawfully detained d not be set at liberty.
3. That this Honourable court be pleased to issue an order
prohibiting the respondent from unlawfully detaining the
applicant for a longer period than permitted by law.
4. This court be pleased to issue an order compelling the
respondent to discharge their duties in accordance of with the
applicable law.
5. That any other order that this Honourable court deems fit to
grant.
An affidavit supporting the application has been sworn and filed by learned Advocate, Mr. Deogratias Alex Butawantemi. Although the respondents through Messrs. Clement Masua and Erick Bakilana, both
learned State Attorneys, intimated to file a counter affidavit, they have
not lived to their word.
At the time of hearing of this application, the applicant was
represented by Mr. Deogratias Alex Butawantemi. The respondents, though served, did not appear.
Submitting in support of the application, he argued as follows.
According to the court's order made last time, the respondents were to file their counter affidavit but none has been filed. In that respect, the court is invited to invoke its powers and by on the strength of the case of
Sisto Katabi @
Macho v. Republic, Misc. Criminal Application No. 63
of 2020, at p.3 and find that the application has not been factually opposed.
Counsel for the applicant prayed the court to grant the orders
prayed for under the Chamber summons and, in particular, to order the
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corpus of the applicant one Zakaria Kapama be released from unlawful custody or detention of the respondents, prohibiting the respondent from
unlawfully detaining the applicant for longer period than is required by law and issue an order compelling the respondents to discharge their
duties in accordance to the law applicable in our jurisdiction.
On the court's power to issue directions of nature of habeas corpus, Section
390 of the Criminal Procedure Act [
Cap. 20 R.E.2022] is clear and
provides as hereunder: -
390.-(1) The High Court may, whenever it thinks fit, direct-
(a) that any person within the limits of Mainland Tanzania be
brought up before the court to be dealt with according to law;
(b) that any person illegally or improperly detained in public or
private custody within such limits be set at liberty;
(c) that any prisoner detained in any prison situate within such limits be brought before the court to be there examined as a witness in any matter pending or to be inquired into in such court;
(d) that any prisoner detained as aforesaid be brought before a
court-martial or any commissioner acting under the authority or any commission from the President for trial or be examined touching any
matter pending before such court-martial or commissioner
respectively;
(e) that any prisoner within such limits be removed from one
custody to another for the purpose of trial; and
(f) that the body of a defendant within such limits be brought in ona return of cepi corpus to a writ of attachment.
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On the definition of the parameters of the writ of habeas corpus adsubjiciendum was well elaborated in the case of Joviah Karuhanga
v. the Inspector General of Police, M.C. 86 of 2013 thus:
The purpose for a writ habeas corpus ad subjiciendum is to review the legality of the applicant's arrest, imprisonment and detention and challenge the authority of the prison or jail warden to continue holding the applicant. It ensures that a prisoner can be released
from unlawful detention i.e., detention lacking sufficient cause or evidence or detention incommunicado. The detention must therefore be forbidden by law.
In the case under consideration, it is averred in the supporting
affidavit that the applicant one Zacharia Anthony Kapama is the Director of Nezak Investment Limited, the company which also owns KP Motors. It deals with business of importation of motor vehicles.
On 29th September, 2023 the police arrested the applicant and put him under custody and is still within their custody at Oyster Bay Police Station. It is further averred that the applicant is being detained without being granted police bail or being arraigned in a competent authority.
It is also averred that the detention is unlawful,
as pointed out earlier, at the time of hearing this application, the
respondents were summoned but they did not make appearance in court and there is no counter affidavit filed to counter the contents in the
applicant's affidavit. As rightly pointed out by Mr. Deogratias Alex Butawantemi, the applicant's learned Counsel and on the authority of the case of Sisto Katabi @ Macho v. R., Miscellaneous Criminal Application
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Number. 63 of 2020, 'failure to file a counter affidavit is a signification that the
application is not factually opposed'.
Having heard the submission of the applicant's learned Counsel and after taking into account the unopposed applicant's affidavit filed in support of the application, I am in no doubt that the applicant's detention
is unlawful and this is a fit case where the provisions of Section 390 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act (supra), should be invoked.
Accordingly, the application is granted and acting under paragraph (a) of sub-section (1) of section 390 of the Act, I make an order against the respondents that the applicant be brought up before this court to be dealt with according to law.
This order to be complied with not later than after tomorrow.
It is so ordered. Ck . f
W.P. Dyansobera
JUDGE
17.10.2023
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Source :
Zakaria Anthony Kapama vs. Officer Commanding Station Oyterbay (OCS) & 3Others) (Misc. Criminal Application No. 132 of 2023) [2023] TZHC 21830 (17 October 2023)