[UPDATED] Jenkins inquest: police received intelligence on Anna’s whereabouts in several locations

GEORGE TOWN – Police received intelligence about the presence of Australian grandmother Annapuranee Jenkins at several locations in Penang and Kedah, the coroner’s court was told today.

Retired police sergeant Zali Hanapi testified that three pieces of information were obtained when Annapuranee’s disappearance was made public in late 2017 and 2018.

Zali, 61, said the first piece of information he received was from a woman known as Ong Win Nee, who claimed to have seen Annapuranee eating at a restaurant in Kulim, Kedah.

“Ong also showed a picture of the woman alleged to be Annapuranee. Yet the woman in the picture is not Annapuranee because she looked younger.

“The second piece of information we received was from Annapuranee’s son, Greg, who told us that the public saw her at a KFC outlet in Batu Ferringhi.

“But a check on a closed-circuit camera (CCTV) footage at the restaurant did not show her entering the premises,” he told coroner Norsalha Hamzah.

Zali added that the other piece of information the police received from members of the public was Annapuranee applying for a job at Penang Hospital.

However, he said, all the information was inaccurate and did not help the investigation.

“After that, we inspected churches, because it was understood that Annapuranee likes to visit them, based on information in her notebook that was found in her hotel room.

“However, we did not find her anyway,” said Zali, who retired in November 2019.

Earlier at the inquest, state prosecution director Datuk Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim asked the coroner to issue a warning to family and the public to not issue any statement outside the court.

Khairul said he was aware that Australian media often reported statements of politicians and her family on the matter.

“I do not intend to apply for a gag order, but I request that the coroner warn them not to issue any more statements on this proceeding.”

Norsalha then instructed the family and the public to refrain from commenting and issuing statements on the case.

Earlier, the high-profile inquest caught the attention of Aussie lawmaker Frank Pangallo, who appeared for the first time today.

Pangallo, SA-Best member of the South Australian Legislative Council, was seen with Jenkins’ son Greg at the sessions court here.

The lawmaker was among key individuals helping the Jenkins family in their fight for justice after she went missing in Penang and accused local authorities of bungling the initial investigations.

Pangallo, 67, is also a former investigative journalist in Australia.

The inquest continues tomorrow at 10am. – The Vibes, July 18, 2022