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Dutch crew members plead guilty over their role in major 2024 Singapore bunker spill

Merijn Heidema, Eric Peijpers, Martin Hans Sinke, and Richard Ouwehand, who are crewmen of dredger “Vox Maxima”, pleaded guilty for failing to discharge their duties properly at the State Courts on 12 March.

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1 year ago

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state courts

Four Dutch crew members of Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima, which crashed into a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel in 2024 and caused a major bunker spill in Singapore, on Wednesday (12 March) pleaded guilty for failing to discharge their duties properly, according to media reports. 

Merijn Heidema, 26, Eric Peijpers, 56, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, and Richard Ouwehand, 49, pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 at the State Courts. 

Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour was hit by Vox Maxima at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June last year, which resulted in an oil spill in Singapore waters.

The crash caused one of Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks to rupture, releasing 400 metric tonnes (mt) of low-sulphur fuel oil into the sea. 

The dredger lost propulsion and steering control before crashing into Marine Honour.

Court documents reportedly revealed that on the morning of 14 June 2024, a circuit breaker controlling the flow of electrical power from one of the dredger’s main generators to a step-down transformer was opened for maintenance works to be conducted.

The circuit breaker remained open after the maintenance works were completed that morning. 

Peijpers, a second engineer, and Heidema, a third engineer, who were the officers in charge of the engineering watch at the time, did not check the condition of the circuit breakers.

This eventually led to another circuit breaker tripping, which then led to the loss of steering and propulsion control of the dredger.

Heidema and Peijpers also failed to ensure a sufficient reserve of power was available for Vox Maxima’s steering gear when the engine room was put in a standby condition.

Upon the loss of steering control, both Ouwehand and Sinke, who were responsible to carry out emergency steering, did not do so.

The prosecution sought fines of between SGD 40,000 and SGD 50,000 each for Heidema and Peijpers and fines between SGD 20,000 and SGD 30,000 each for Ouwehand and Sinke.

The four Dutch crew members are expected to be sentenced on 2 April.

Related: Four Dutch seafarers charged for alleged roles in causing Singapore oil spill
Related: Thirteen deficiencies flagged during inspection for dredger involved in Singapore oil spill
Related: Singapore oil spill: Minister refutes claim that contractor was slow in preventing further spillage
Related: MPA: Claims exceeding liability of “Marine Honour” owner will be made against international fund
Related: MPA: Owner of bunker tanker involved in Singapore oil spill is liable for pollution damage
Related: Malaysia to look into demands of Johor fisherman affected by oil spill from Singapore
Related: Singapore oil spill: Clean-up enters next phase of cleaning rock bunds
Related: MPA: Clean-up ops continue following oil spill in Singapore, affected beaches closed
Related: Singapore: Oil spill cleanup after allision between dredger “Vox Maxima” and bunker tanker “Marine Honour”

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 13 March, 2025

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Winding up

Singapore: Final meeting scheduled for Tiger LNG Shipping Pte Ltd

Meeting will be held on 29 June at 190 Middle Road #17-05 Fortune Centre Singapore 188979 to hear any explanation that may be given by the liquidator, according to Government Gazette notice.
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Published

2 days ago

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June 2, 2026

By

RESIZED Jo_Johnston from Pixabay

The final meeting for Tiger LNG Shipping Pte Ltd has been scheduled to take place on 29 June, according to the company’s liquidators on a notice posted on Friday (29 May) on the Government Gazette.

The meetings will be held at 10.30am at 190 Middle Road #17-05 Fortune Centre Singapore 188979. 

The meeting is being held for the purpose of having an account laid before the meeting showing the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the liquidator.

The following are the details of the liquidator:

LUM CHI LUP BENNY
c/o 190 Middle Road
#17-05 Fortune Centre
Singapore 188979

 

Photo credit: Jo_Johnston from Pixabay
Published: 2 June, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Annual general meetings scheduled for Xin Guang Shipping and An Xing Shipping

Annual general meeting of the company and creditors for An Xing Shipping and Xin Guang Shipping will be held by electronic means on 11 June and 12 June respectively.

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Published

7 days ago

on

May 28, 2026

By

Resized benjamin child

Several notices were published on the Government Gazette on Tuesday (26 May) regarding the annual general meetings of the companies and creditors to be held electronically from 5 to 6 May for Xin Guang Shipping Pte Ltd and An Xing Shipping Pte Ltd. 

Annual general meeting for Xin Guang Shipping are to be held on 12 June at the following times:

  • Annual general meeting of the Company at 2pm
  • Annual general meeting of the creditors of the Company at 3pm

Annual general meeting for An Xing Shipping are to be held on 11 June at the following times:

  • Annual general meeting of the Company at 2pm
  • Annual general meeting of the creditors of the Company at 3pm

The agenda for all the meetings are:

  • To receive an update on the liquidation.
  • To receive an account of the Liquidators’ acts and dealings, and of the conduct of the winding up.

The following are the details of the liquidator: 

Ho May Kee
Liquidator
c/o 8 Marina View
#40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1
Singapore 018960

 

Photo credit: Benjamin Child
Published: 28 May, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Notice of intended dividend issued for Xihe Capital Pte Ltd

Xihe Capital Pte Ltd and its subsidiaries are owned by the Lim family, who are also the owners of the embattled Hin Leong Trading.
Admin

Published

1 week ago

on

May 25, 2026

By

RESIZED Drew Beamer

A notice to declare the intended dividend of Xihe Capital Pte Ltd to its creditors has been posted on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 April).

Xihe Capital Pte Ltd and its subsidiaries are owned by the Lim family, who are also the owners of the embattled Hin Leong Trading.

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

Name of Company : XIHE CAPITAL (PTE.) LTD. (IN CREDITORS’ VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION)

Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201727410K

Address of Registered Office : 10 ANSON ROAD, #10-10, INTERNATIONAL PLAZA SINGAPORE 079903

Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 June 2026

Name of Liquidator : TAM CHEE CHONG

Address : c/o 10 ANSON ROAD, #10-10, INTERNATIONAL PLAZA SINGAPORE 079903

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 25 May, 2026

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