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BP Singapore bunker bribery case update: CPIB officer takes to the stand

CPIB recorded statements for Pacific Prime Trading’s Koh Seng Lee and BP Singapore’s Clarence Chang was a subject of focus during Tuesday’s session at the State Court.
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The trial of former BP Singapore Regional Marine Manager Clarence Chang continued at the State Courts of Singapore on Tuesday.

Chang was facing 20 charges for allegedly accepting bribes totalling USD $3.95 million from Koh Seng Lee, the sole shareholder and executive director of Pacific Prime Trading (PPT) between the period of July 31, 2006 and July 26, 2010.

Tuesday morning’s session focused on Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB)’s recorded statements for both Chang and Koh.

CPIB Investigation Officer Bay Chun How, who recorded the statement of both suspects, said Chang initiated the establishment of PPT.

“Mr Chang does not have official status with PPT except that he understood Mr Koh will know he will help PPT,” said Bay.

“Clarence [Chang] informed me that as long as Mr Koh makes money from PPT, Mr Koh will transfer some of money made to Clarence.

“Between Mr Koh and Clarence [Chang] they had a HSBC account in Hong Kong and payment was deposited to Clarence’s [Chang] HSBC account in Hong Kong.”

Bay further explained Chang and Koh each set up a HSBC bank account at Hong Kong with the alleged purpose of receiving funds.

“I pose the question and Clarence [Chang] told me it was a clean account to receive money from PPT.”

Interestingly, the CPIB officer told members at the hearing that Chang claimed the formation of Singapore bunkering firm Vermont UM was a collective idea between Vermont Group Holdings in Hong Kong and Chang himself.

Poh Fu Tek, a director of Vermont UM, invested 24.5% into the company while Koh was invited to invest another 24.5%; Vermont Group Holdings held the remaining 51% of the Singapore bunkering firm.

The nature and intention of Koh’s SGD $500,000 investment into Mindchamps City Square between 2009 to 2010, an establishment managed by Chang’s wife Fennie Ong, where Koh was also a director and equal shareholder was in question during the hearing.

Bay alleged Koh “doesn’t quite segregate” the sum of money if it was an investment or for profit sharing as only purpose for the activity was to “keep the business with BP on”.

“When Clarence [Chang] asked he [Koh] could not say ‘no’ because of business dealings at BP,” said Bay.

“By saying no, Clarence [Chang] has the power to terminate PPT’s status as partner of BP.”

Andre Maniam, Senior Counsel at WongPartnership, questioned the accuracy of Bay’s recorded statements of Koh that were written over a period of time.

“[Bay,] your records [initially] suggest Koh was transferring these moneys as investments, but you [later] wrote them down as loans; but now you tell us now that this may be Clarence Chang's share of profits?” Asked Maniam.

Bay maintained his stance when questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue.

“Koh has a very clear ‘business man’ thinking which is so long as it is still profitable after giving what Clarence [Chang] wants he will continue this relationship and to him therefore all money given to Clarence [Chang] were money to keep PPT’s business intact with BP.”

The trial continues 25 July.

Related: UPDATE: BP Singapore bunker bribery case
Related: BP Singapore bunker bribery case continues

Photo credit: Chensiyuan / CC BY-SA 4.0
Published: 24 July, 2018
 

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Incident

India: MSC faces USD 1.1 billion lawsuit from Kerala state over “MSC ELSA 3” bunker spill

Reports noted approximately 84 mt of diesel and 376 mt of fuel oil on board the stricken vessel when it sank carrying 643 boxes.
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5 days ago

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July 9, 2025

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MSC Elsa 3 MT

Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is reportedly facing a USD 1.1 billion lawsuit from India’s southern state of Kerala which is seeking compensation over marine fuel leaked from MSC ELSA 3 into the Arabian Sea in May.

The High Court of Kerala on Monday (7 July) ordered authorities to seize containership MSC Akiteta II which was anchored in Vizhinjam Port until securities for the claim amount are deposited.

The 1,700 TEU capacity containership MSC ELSA 3 was sailing from Vizhinjam to Kochi when failure in its ballast management system caused it to sink on 25 May about 13 nautical miles off the coast of Kerala.

Reports noted approximately 84 metric tonnes (mt) of diesel and 376 mt of fuel oil on board the stricken vessel when it sank carrying 643 boxes.

 

Photo credit: Indian Ministry of Defence
Published: 9 July 2025

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Legal

Shell MGO bunker heist: Co-conspirator receives 302-month jail sentence

Abdul Latif Bin Ibrahim and accomplices siphoned over 150,000 mt of gasoil worth at least USD 74 million from Shell Pukom between August 2014 and January 2018.
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July 8, 2025

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A Judge at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore on Monday (7 July) sentenced Abdul Latif Bin Ibrahim, a former Process Technician working at Shell Pulau Bukom, to a jail term of 25 years and two months (302 months), reported the Straits Times.

Latif pleaded guilty to a total of 30 charges – 20 charges under criminal breach of trust and 10 charges under money laundering – while consenting to have 34 remaining charges taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.

The 67-year-old male is due to start his prison sentence on 30 September 2025.

Court documents obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times showed Latif, with the help of other rogue Shell employees, siphoning over 150,000 metric tonnes (mt) of gasoil valued at least USD 74,469,000 (approximately SGD 100,601,000) from Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd’s (Shell) Pulau Bukom facility between August 2014 and January 2018.

Latif was arrested on 7 January 2018.

Investigations found him receiving a total of at least about SGD 7 million in criminal benefits between 2014 to 2018, of which he spent these monies on luxury watches, foreign property, cars, amongst others.

Authorities have seized assets worth approximately SGD 7.67 million from Latif; amongst recovered are:

  • One Rolex Daytona (leather strap) watch worth SGD 28,800
  • One Frank Muller watch worth SGD 7,000
  • One Frank Muller watch worth SGD 8,000
  • 03 packs of 1,000 pcs of SGD 1,000 notes worth SGD 3 million
  • 991 pcs of 1,000 pcs of SGD 1,000 notes worth SGD 991,000
  • 400 pcs of 1,000 pcs of SGD 1,000 notes worth SGD 400,000
  • Sales balance proceeds of BMW M5 worth SGD 174,300
  • Sales balance proceeds of Mercedes Benz E43 worth SGD 276,200
  • Sales balance proceeds of Aston Martin DBS Coupe worth SGD 338,200
  • Sale proceeds from property at St Martin’s Dr worth SGD 670,000
  • Sale proceeds from property at Suites@Braddell worth SGD 557,200

Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:

Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Man sentenced to jail for hindering police investigations
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk gets jail time for helping Sentek acquire misappropriated fuel
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk pleads guilty to helping Sentek acquire misappropriated fuel
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employees sentenced to more than 23 years in prison each
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employees plead guilty to multiple offences
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee receives over 16-year jail sentence
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Intertek Surveyor sentenced to four months’ jail for corruption
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Intertek Surveyor pleads guilty to corruption charge
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Shell Process Technician receives 195-month jail sentence
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Police seize property, cars, watches from ex-Shell Bukom Process Technician
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell blending specialist jailed over USD 956,000 worth of misappropriated gasoil
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Former Intertek, Inspectorate surveyors receive fines, jail sentences
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-CCIC Singapore surveyor pleads guilty to misconduct, receiving USD 12k in bribes
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician receives 184-month prison sentence over illicit involvement
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Syndicate member’s nephew jailed over concealment of safe containing valuables
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: 12 former surveyors from Intertek, Inspectorate, CCIC, SGS charged for corruption
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Former Shore Loading Officer receives 29-year jail sentence over total 85 charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician received minimum SGD 735,000 in benefits, faces 43 charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee admits leading role in illicit operation
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Sentek ex-Director faces 40 fresh charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Two former Shell employees jailed over theft
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: High Court affirms ‘Prime South’ forfeiture to Singapore State
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Three ex-Shell employees charged with bribing surveyors
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Second ex-Shell employee pleads guilty to nine charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: First ex-Shell employee to plead guilty over involvement
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm released from police custody
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Oil tanker ‘Prime South’ forfeited by State Courts of Singapore
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm face charge at State Courts
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Third offender pleads guilty for gas oil theft
Related: Captain of “Prime South” jailed in Shell Pulau Bukom gas oil theft
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Ex-Chief Officer of Prime South jailed
Related: Singapore: Shell MGO bunker heist amount balloons to USD$142 million
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist update: Fresh charges issued at Singapore court
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: More charges issued at court
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Breakdown of stolen oil cargoes
Related: Intertek Singapore employee among Shell oil heist suspects

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 8 July 2025

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Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker transporting 62,000 litres of diesel off Port Klang

Vessel was operated by a 43-year-old Indonesia captain with a crew of six Indonesians; captain failed to present any documents permitting the transport of the diesel which is a controlled item.

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1 week ago

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July 7, 2025

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Malaysia: MMEA detains tanker carrying 62,000 litres of diesel off Port Klang

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Friday (4 July) said it detained a tanker carrying 62,000 litres of diesel without valid documentation off Port Klang on 3 July. 

Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the tanker was detained at about one nautical mile west of Tanjung Harapan at 1.30pm during a routine patrol in Selangor waters. 

Initial checks showed the tanker was operated by a 43-year-old Indonesia captain with a crew of six, aged between 21 and 51, who were also Indonesians. All of them had complete identification documents. 

However, the captain failed to present any documents permitting the transport of the diesel cargo which is a controlled item. 

With that, a detention order was issued for the tanker. Both the captain and second engineer were arrested and were brought to the marine police jetty in Pulau Indah for further investigation. 

The case will be investigated under the Control of Supplies Act 1961 for failure to provide a permit or special licences from the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to possess, store or transport controlled goods.  

 

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 7 July, 2025

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