Coroner Urges Criminal Charges Against Police in Death of Gambian Man

By Fatou Sillah

The Chief Justice of The Gambia has endorsed a coroner’s recommendation that criminal proceedings be considered against police officers involved in the death of Omar Badjie, according to an official statement released at a press conference.

The recommendation follows an inquest into Mr. Badjie’s death on Sept. 26, 2025, in Mandinary Village in the West Coast Region, an incident that prompted widespread protests in the area.

The coroner, Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy, concluded that Mr. Badjie died from injuries sustained during a police operation. In her findings, she determined that the cause of death was “acute brain injury resulting from physical exertion, stress, and assault occasioned by the police officers in the course of their pursuit of the deceased.”

“The coroner’s verdict is that Omar Badjie died due to acute brain injury resulting from physical exertion, stress, and assault occasioned by the police officers in the course of their pursuit of the deceased,” he said.

The inquest included testimony from 12 witnesses, a review of the postmortem report, and a visit to the scene of the incident.

Based on these findings, the coroner recommended that the case be referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to consider possible criminal charges against the officers involved.

In its statement, the Office of the Chief Justice said that the chief justice had reviewed the inquest proceedings in accordance with Section 10 of the Coroners Act and found the conclusions to be legally sound and procedurally proper.

The chief justice has since forwarded the full record of the inquest to the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions for further action, the statement said.

“His Lordship the Hon. Chief Justice has accordingly forwarded the record of proceedings of the inquest to the Hon. Attorney General and to the Director of Public Prosecutions for necessary action,” the statement concludes.