00e 1$4 II- SUBJECT MATTER OF THE APPLICATION A. Facts of the Matter 3. lt emerges from the file that the Applicants were charged before the Songea District Court on 7 May 1999 in Zanzibar Street, Songea Municipality, with one count of conspiracy to commit a crime and one count of armed robbery for threatening the cashier named Sophie Mwalango with a pistol, before snatching a box containing twenty thousand Tanzanian Shillings (TZS 20,000) and 5 receipt booklets belonging to Steven Martin. The crimes are provided for and punishable under Articles 384 and 285 as read together with 286 of the Penal Code of the Respondent State respectively. 4. The District Court found the first Applicant guilty and sentenced him to three years' imprisonment for conspiracy to commit a crime and 15 years' imprisonment for armed robbery, to be served concurrenfly. The second Applicant was acquitted on the ground that the evidence against him was mere suspicion. 5. The first Applicant appealed against his conviction and the 1S-year sentence, while the Prosecution appealed against the acquittal of the second Applicant to the High Court of Tanzania at Songea. By a single Judgement rendered on 19 May 2003, the first Applicant's appeal was dismissed and his sentence was instead increased from 15 to 30 years in accordance with the amended Minimum Sentences Act of 1972. ln respect of the second Applicant, the Judge granted the Prosecution's appeal and sentenced him to 30 years for armed robbery, a sentence to be served concurrently with the three years' imprisonment for conspiracy to commit a crime. v 3 O-z @,-