Locus Visit: Witness Identifies Mango Tree Where Omar Badjie Was Allegedly Beaten

The inquest into the death of Omar Badjie advanced on Monday, 19 January 2026, when the Brikama Magistrates’ Court conducted a locus visit to Mandinaring, the scene of the incident under investigation.

Presiding Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy led the court to the community mortuary where the late Omar Badjie was employed and where the alleged fatal encounter occurred.

During the proceedings, the deceased’s personal effects were formally tendered and admitted into evidence. These included a red pair of shorts, a round-neck T-shirt, black boxer shorts, and cash totaling D210, comprising one D100 note, two D50 notes, and one D10 note.

It was also confirmed that the suspect police officer, Sulayman Jarju, along with his colleagues, remains in custody. In his testimony, Jarju stated that he suspected Badjie was in possession of cannabis at the time of the encounter.

The seventh witness, Musa, was recalled to guide the court to the precise location where the alleged assault took place. Standing beneath a mango tree, Musa identified a branch that he said was cut by one of the officers and used to beat the deceased.

Musa testified that prior to the beating, the officer slapped Omar Badjie and ordered him to move. When Badjie reportedly responded, “No, I cannot go,” the officer allegedly cut a thick, fresh branch from the tree and used it to assault him.

“The branch was big and wet,” Musa told the court, adding that the force of the beating was so severe that the branch broke into pieces during the assault.

The court also heard testimony from Chief Inspector Omar Bojang of the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Unit at the Brikama Police Station. Bojang stated that he was assigned to investigate the alleged murder on 30 September 2025.

He told the court that, accompanied by Sub-Inspector Yaya Bojang and Sergeant Fatou Simah, his team took photographs and measurements at the scene. According to him, the distance from Omar Badjie’s workplace at the mortuary to the point where he collapsed measured approximately 353 metres.

When requested to produce the photographs, Chief Inspector Bojang informed the court that he had left them at his office, but confirmed that a comprehensive report, including printed photographs, had been prepared.

Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy adjourned the inquest to Tuesday, 20 January 2026, for continuation.