Legal

BP Singapore bunker trial: Former Ops Manager cross examined

‘I have seen my fair share of best suppliers and PPT is certainly the better ones,’ states Ng Koh Sheng.

Published

7 years ago

July 29, 2019

Admin

Manifold Times was present at the BP Singapore bunker trial on Tuesday (23 July). The following report represents a brief extract of the day’s trial:

The BP Singapore bunker trial continued on Tuesday (23 July) at the State Courts of Singapore with the examination of Ng Koh Sheng, the former Operations Manager of BP Singapore Pte Ltd, largely by Melanie Ho, Deputy Head of Specialist & Private Client Disputes Practice at WongPartnership.

Ho, representing ex-Regional Marine Manager of BP Singapore Clarence Chang who is facing 20 charges for allegedly accepting bribes from Koh Seng Lee of Pacific Prime Trading (PPT), sought to understand from Ng how PPT came to become the largest trading counter party of BP Singapore.

“We wanted to work with reliable and responsible partners so we can protect [BP Singapore] company interests,” said Ng, who rated PPT positively and said the oil major has a tendency to work and increase business with firms who can provide the level of service required.

He noted an example of stock taking exercises where most bunkering firms took between two to three days to share stock lists with BP Singapore, “whereas PPT will get the barge to send it directly to us so we can see it first-hand”.

“They are very good, they know exactly how we want things done.”

Ng recalled a period when BP Singapore encountered several customer complaints from a PPT barge which resulted in a meeting with PPT for an explanation.

“[PPT] They will do some internal checks and they will call up the crew, if they cannot get a satisfactory answer they will come back and say ‘it is true this guy is not following supply procedures’ and sometimes they will fire the guy,” he explained.

“However, with other [bunker] suppliers they will say ‘you buy at a cheap price […] buy as it is.”

“I have seen my fair share of best suppliers and PPT is certainly among the better ones and they are serious in what they are doing; I guess that is why for four to five years after I left BP the company continued to use them as their main supplier,” Ng adds.

“They are definitely the top responsive contractor who are willing to buy BP oil as sometimes BP oil can be more expensive than the market. They are also happy to resolve claims; when doing claims, the response is very important.

“When I was handling sales, I recall the Japanese customers […] they tell us they prefer certain [PPT] barges doing the supply […] this is good testimony of PPT meeting the service requirements of customers.”

Earlier court sessions of the BP Singapore bunker trial are organised in chronological order below:

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 30 July, 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

17 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

18 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

6 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