Regarding the bank manager and Bali, remember she was married to a policeman at the time.
Remember the inquest did question whether there was an improper exchange of information between employees of Byron bank and Byron police that might've started THE rumour that stopped the investigation… that Marion was found and willingly wanted to start a new life overseas, away from her family.
The question is where did the rumour start, at the bank or police? Or perhaps at the home shared by the bank manager and policeman?
Here are two COPS entries that were allegedly taken after Byron police spoke to Byron bank:
22 Oct 1997 1:15pm: “Last transaction from Byron. Transfer $80,000 from account to another account 15 October 1997.”
22 Oct 1997 2:37pm: “She is a 3 times divorced woman in her 50’s and one possible scenario for her behaviour is that she returned to Australia with a companion and has transferred the funds to England to purchase a property there with the view to move to England.”
Which is very odd considering the bank manager’s sudden memory in 2022 that it was definitely a tanned Marion with a flower in her hair who withdrew the money with the intention of going to Bali to find herself. She also believes she saw Marion years later at a ‘return to work course’ in Australia.
Essentially, the bank manager gave evidence that Marion was in Australia and still alive in the 2000s. Which is convenient for NSW police who pulled Marion's AFP Missing Person campaign in 2007, saying Marion wasn't missing because police had recently contacted her again and she was still alive. We learned this from the emails obtained by freedom of information.
Frankly, none of it adds up. I don't believe the bank manager told the truth.
I think we need to find the car.