Legal

Magnets on MFMs: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case

Assistant Boson of Singapore bunker tanker currently known as Fragrance sentenced to five-month imprisonment after being caught by MPA Port Inspector in June.

Published

7 years ago

August 28, 2019

Admin

The Assistant Boson of a Singapore-registered bunker tanker (IMO 9199701) currently known as Fragrance was sentenced by a Judge at the State Courts of Singapore on Tuesday (27 August) to a five-month jail term starting 15 June over tampering of a mass flowmeter (MFM) during bunkering operations.

“This is the first case of its kind where we have found tampering of MFM,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua during the trial.

Nurharyadi was charged under Section 7(1)(a) read with Section 10(1) of the Computer Misuse Act, Chapter 50A for interfering with the use of a Bunker Metering Computer (BMC) to accurately record marine fuel delivered to the MT Southern Glory.

Court documents obtained by Singapore bunker publication Manifold Times indicated Nurharyadi previously learning how to influence the recorded mass flow rate (MFR) on the BMC by placing an industrial grade magnet at a certain point on the MFM.

The action resulted in the BMC erroneously recording a higher MFR, falsely indicating a greater mass of marine fuel delivered into the receiving vessel on the computer than actually transferred.

On the afternoon of 13 June 2019, Nurharyadi was working with a bunker clerk to transfer 380 centistokes (cSt) grade fuel oil from Fragrance to MT Southern Glory; he affixed the magnet to the MFM around 10 minutes after starting the loading operation while helping the bunker clerk to keep a lookout for Maritime Port Authority (MPA) officers.

An MPA Port Inspector was in the vicinity patrolling the Eastern Petroleum Anchorage on board patrol boat MPA 2 when he decided to conduct a spot check on the bunker tanker delivering fuel under a supplier license from Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd.

Nurharyadi disposed of the magnet when he spotted MPA 2 alongside Fragrance and proceeded to inform the bunker clerk of the patrol boat; however, he subsequently confessed to the Port Inspector that he earlier placed the magnet on the MFM.

Following, the bunkering operation was halted with the MFM bunker delivery note recording 573.406 metric tonnes (mt) of fuel delivered. A note of protest later lodged by the Chief Engineer of MT Southern Glory indicated the vessel received 565.5 mt of fuel.

An investigation report from MFM manufacturer Micro Motion found the magnet had been applied on its MFM for 1.31 hours out of an operation lasting 4.7 hours, with the placement causing an additional 4.24 mt of marine fuel registered by the BMC than what was actually delivered.

The financial loss of the operation was recorded to be approximately SGD 2,174.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 28 August, 2019

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

10 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

10 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

5 days ago

July 16, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026