since it was made voluntarily and this was proved by the prosecution
beyond a reasonable doubt. Furthermore, the court satisfied itself that it was
not induced by any threat, promise or other prejudice.32 It asserts that the
caution statement was recorded in compliance with Section 54(1) of the
Criminal Procedure Act [Cap 20 R.E 2002] which obliges a police officer to
notify the arrested person of his right to call an advocate, relative or friend
to be present when recording the statement, which PW4 did. That the
Applicant was notified of this right but declined to have anyone present and
after the statement was recorded by PW4, it was read back to him and he
agreed to sign it.
83. The
Respondent
State
argues
that
the
Applicant’s
decision
to
retract/repudiate his own statement at the trial was an afterthought because
it vividly explains how the grotesque murder was planned and executed. In
any case, it submits, that a retracted confession can be safely relied upon
as was held by the Court of Appeal of Tanzania in the case of Hassan Juma
Kanenyera and Others v. Republic [1992] TLR, 100. The Respondent State
further argues that just because the statement was recorded at a hospital
does not diminish the fact that it was recorded voluntarily since the Applicant
was not forced or induced to record it as determined by the High Court when
the voire dire was held. As such this allegation should be dismissed for lack
of merit.
84. Citing its own jurisprudence in the Court of Appeal case in Goodluck Kyando
v. Republic [2006], the Respondent State surmises that the prosecution
proved its case beyond reasonable doubt since all the prosecution
witnesses were credible and reliable and therefore, there was no need to
disbelieve their testimony. Moreover, the law does not prohibit conviction
based on circumstantial evidence if it leads to the conclusion that it is the
accused person who committed the offence he has been charged with. The
Respondent State surmises that the Applicant was not convicted solely on
the circumstantial evidence alone but on the caution statement as well
See page 16 of the Court of Appeal judgment the Court stated that; - “like the learned trial judge we
are satisfied that the appellant gave the statement voluntary”.
32
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