Legal

Singapore-based Unix Line faces charge over oily waste discharges

Ship data suggests one of the illegal dumping events occurred three nautical miles west of Golden Gate Bridge.

Published

7 years ago

October 29, 2019

Admin

Unix Line Pte Ltd, the primary ship management arm of MOL Chemical Tankers Pte. Ltd., shipowner FGL Moon Marshall Limited, and Gilbert Dela Cruz on Thursday (24 October) were facing charges of failing to maintain an Oil Record Book for bilge water discharges into the sea and with obstruction of justice at a U.S. Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The indictment alleges that the Zao Galaxy, a 16,408 gross-tonne, ocean-going motor tanker, was owned by FGL Moon Marshall Limited, a Marshall Islands company, and operated by Unix Line Pte Ltd., a Singapore company.

An affidavit filed by an agent of the Coast Guard Investigative Service alleges that, on January 21, 2019, the Zao Galaxy set sail from the Philippines and, on February 10, 2019, the ship arrived at a port in Richmond, Calif., bearing a cargo of palm oil.

According to the indictment, Dela Cruz, 37, a citizen of the Philippines, was the First Assistant Engineer on Zao Galaxy’s vessel crew and acted as an employee and agent of both FGL Moon and Unix.

Dela Cruz was responsible for making entries into the ship’s Oil Record Book and for the operation of the ship’s equipment used for treatment and discharge of oil-contaminated water.

The complaint affidavit further alleges that, when the ship reached Richmond, examiners from the Coast Guard boarded the ship to conduct an inspection and previously-scheduled examination.

As a result of that examination, investigators discovered videos showing that approximately four illegal overboard discharges of oily waste had occurred from Zao Galaxy’s engine room between the last week of January 2019 and February 11, 2019.

According to the affidavit, the ship’s location data suggested that one of the illegal dumping events occurred when the Zao Galaxy was approximately three nautical miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The complaint affidavit additionally alleges that Dela Cruz had ordered another crew member to perform the illegal overboard discharge at night to facilitate the emptying, cleaning, and repainting of the Zao Galaxy’s Primary Bilge Tank prior to the Coast Guard’s examination.

Dela Cruz is also alleged to have ordered another crew member to use a flange/hose system to facilitate the dumping of the oily waste while avoiding the ship’s normal oily waste management system.

The Zao Galaxy’s Oil Record Book contained no entries documenting these illegal discharges of oily waste. The indictment also alleges that Dela Cruz attempted to persuade a lower-level crewmember to withhold relevant information regarding the dumping from the Coast Guard.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / M.L. Jacobs
Published: 30 October, 2019

Winding up

Singapore: Notice of intended dividend issued for Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidators of Da Xin Tankers and Nan Chiau Maritime by 5 August, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

11 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Two notices to declare the intended dividend of Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries to their creditors have been posted on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (22 July).

The subsidiaries are Da Xin Tankers Pte Ltd and Nan Chiau Maritime Pte Ltd.

The following are the details of the notices of intended dividend:

Name of Company : Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 198400895W
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Name of Company : Nan Chiau Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No.: 200814296Z
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 23 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: High Court to hear Norvic Shipping Asia winding up application on 31 July

Application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

1 day ago

July 22, 2026

Admin

An application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to a Tuesday (21 July) notice on the Government Gazette.

It noted the winding up application is directed to be heard before the Judge sitting in the General Division of the High Court at 10am on 31 July.

Any creditor or contributory of the company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the winding up application may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose.

A copy of the winding up application will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the company requiring the copy of the winding up application by the solicitors of the applicant’s, Oon & Bazul LLC, on payment of the regulated charge for the same.

The Applicant’s address is Hiridostraat 5, Gebouw Prismatrium, 1101CW Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Applicant’s solicitors are Oon & Bazul LLC of 103 Penang Rd, #04-04/05/06 Singapore 238467.

Queries on the winding up application may be directed to the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 22 July, 2026

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

2 days 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