Legal

BP Singapore bunker bribery case update: BP bunker trade data in question

Lawyers representing ex-BP Singapore Regional Marine Manager Clarence Chang and Pacific Prime Trading Koh Seng Lee cast doubt on quality of revised data provided by BP.

Published

8 years ago

July 25, 2018

Admin

Editor: The article below has been edited at 8pm (Singapore time) on 25 July to reflect the change in the next hearing date.

The accuracy of revised bunker data provided by BP to the State Courts of Singapore as evidence against former BP Singapore Regional Marine Manager Clarence Chang and Koh Seng Lee, the sole shareholder and executive director of Pacific Prime Trading (PPT) was a key topic of discussion on Wednesday morning’s session.

James Ong, Regional Security Adviser (Asia Pacific) at BP, took the stand to present a new set of data compiled by the oil major to aid in the court process; he claimed the new data unfilters earlier information earlier withheld by BP lawyers.

However, the printout of the new set of data omitted certain information found within the original document with data pertaining to BP bunker sales figures leading Chelva Retnam Rajah, Partner of Tan Rajah & Cheah, who represents Koh to probe further.

A key point was certain summations and a missing ‘barge’ column from the original files dating October 2008 which was omitted from the new documents being presented to court.

“Sorry, what you mean that sometimes the printout may not reflect from the source? Mr Ong, my question to you is what do you mean when you say that sometimes information from the source document is sometimes not printed out?” Rajah asked.

“It’s printing […],” replied Ong.

“What you mean it’s printing? You say there is an error in your printer, are you suggesting this?” Rajah questioned.

“When you print out from the excel file into PDF you need to drag and select; for the October 2008 printout I will not rule out I missed the selection of the column barge for the printout,” said Ong.

“So it may have been human error on your part?” Rajah further asked.

“Yes, thank you for that,” Ong confirmed.

Andre Maniam, Senior Counsel at WongPartnership, presenting Chang asked why the new document, which took into account BP’s bunker sales volumes at Singapore, omitted sales of marine gas oil (MGO).

“Mr Ong my understanding is MGO is one category of bunker fuel so if we want to understand the total delivered volume of bunker fuel for Singapore we should filter out all the none Singapore ports but we should leave in MGO together with all the grades of fuel oil right?” Questioned Maniam.

Ong replied, “Yes.”

“Why did you filter out?” Maniam asked.

“I was under direction by my legal [to do so],” said Ong.

The trial continues ~~26 July~~ August 7.

Photo credit: Chensiyuan / CC BY-SA 4.0
Published: 25 July, 2018

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

11 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

11 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