Legal

Indonesia arrests top executives of Pertamina over USD 12 bil corruption scandal

Three executives at units of state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina were among seven suspects arrested in relation to a USD 12 billion crude oil corruption scandal in Indonesia, according to media reports.

Published

2 months ago

February 27, 2025

Admin

Editor's note: Title of article has been corrected to USD 12 billion.

Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has arrested three executives at units of state-owned oil and gas giant Pertamina in connection with a IDR 193.7 trillion (USD 12 billion) crude oil corruption scandal, according to several media reports on Tuesday (25 February).

Riva Siahaan, president director of Pertamina Patra Niaga and Yoki Firnandi, chief executive officer of Pertamina International Shipping, were among seven people accused of an illegal scheme to market subsidised Pertalite gasoline under the more expensive Pertamax brand.

Citing an AGO’s statement, Jakarta Globe reported that during Riva’s tenure, Pertamina Patra Niaga allegedly blended subsidised Pertalite gasoline with Pertamax, which has a higher octane number and is sold at a non-subsidised price between 2018 and 2023.

The names of the other five were undisclosed and were named using only initials and their positions in the report. However, Reuters reported the identity of a third suspect which was Sani Dinar Saifuddin, a director at Kilang Pertamina Internasional.

Jakarta Globe reported Pertamina spokesman Fadjar Djoko Santoso confirming that the company will fully cooperate with prosecutors during the investigation.

“Pertamina is committed to cooperating with law enforcement agencies to ensure due legal process while upholding the presumption of innocence,” Fadjar said in a statement.

A day later, Jakarta Globe reported Pertamina Patra Niaga denying allegations that it mixed cheaper, subsidised Pertalite with Pertamax.

Acting CEO Mars Ega Legowo, following Riva’s arrest, insisted Pertamex is not a blended product and that Pertamina does not have a dedicated blending facility for gasoline. Instead, he said the company adds an additive to raise its octane number, which he explained “other companies do the same”.

Photo credit: Pertamina
Published: 27 February, 2025

Business

Notice of intended dividend issued for defunct bunkering firm Coastal Oil Singapore

Company’s former Chief Finance Officer received a nine-year jail sentence in 2021 after pleading guilty to 15 charges for conspiring with others to defraud eight banks into approving USD 320 million in loans.

Published

5 days ago

April 17, 2025

Admin

A notice was published in the Government Gazette on Wednesday (16 April), regarding the second and final intended dividend to creditors of defunct bunkering firm Coastal Oil Singapore Pte Ltd.

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

Name of Company : Coastal Oil Singapore Pte. Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 200413975N
Address of Registered Office : 1 Raffles Quay, #27-10, South Tower, Singapore 048583
Last Day of Receiving Proofs : 30 April 2025
Name of Liquidator : Yit Chee Wah
Address : c/o FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.,1 Raffles Quay,#27-10, South Tower, Singapore 048583

In 2021, the former Chief Finance Officer of Coastal Oil Singapore received a nine-year jail sentence at the State Courts of Singapore.

Ong Ah Huat earlier pleaded guilty to 15 charges; the charges include three counts of engaging in a scheme to defraud and nine counts of forgery for conspiring with accomplices to defraud eight banks into approving USD 320 million in loans.

The banks involved were: China Merchants Bank (Singapore), Bank of Communications (Hong Kong), BNP Paribas (Hong Kong), Cooperative Rabobank (Hong Kong), DBS Bank (Hong Kong), HSBC (Hong Kong), OCBC (Hong Kong), and Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong).

In 2019, Manifold Times reported Hong Kong-listed COSCO SHIPPING International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd stating its indirect wholly-owned bunkering subsidiary Sinfeng suspecting fraud to be involved in the liquidation of Coastal Oil Singapore during December 2018.

It was believed Coastal Oil Singapore owed approximately US $357 million to 79 firms. Out of the total USD 357 million, banks were the hardest hit taking up about US $354 million, or 99.1%, of total credit owed.

A complete coverage of the events leading to the current development has been arranged by Singapore bunker publication Manifold Times (in descending date order) below:

Photo credit: Benjamin-child
Published: 17 April, 2025

Business

Singapore: Director of Sinco Shipping declares inability to continue business

Sharma Mohit Krishnabhagwan, director of Sinco Shipping, lodged a statutory declaration stating the company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business; liquidators have been appointed as well.

Published

6 days ago

April 16, 2025

Admin

A director of Sinco Shipping Pte Ltd filed a statutory declaration (SD) stating that the company cannot continue its business due to its liabilities, according to a 15 April (Tuesday) notice on the Government Gazette.

In the SD, the director, Sharma Mohit Krishnabhagwan, said meetings of the company and of its creditors have been summoned for 28 April.

According to SGP Business website, a business platform for business and individuals, the company’s main business was in shipping including chartering of ships and boats with crew (freight) with renting.

In another notice, it was stated that Mr Lau Chin Huat and Mr Yeo Boon Keong, Licensed Insolvency Practitioners, both of Technic Inter-Asia Pte Ltd, c/o 50 Havelock Road #02-767 Singapore 160050, have been appointed as joint and several provisional liquidators of the company on 11 April.

In a third notice on the Government Gazette, the liquidators said a meeting of creditors of the company will be held by way of video conference via Zoom (deemed venue : 50 Havelock Road, #02-767 Singapore 160050) on 28 April at 11:30am, for the following purposes:

To lay a full statement of the company’s affairs together with a list of creditors and the estimated amounts of their claims;
To nominate Liquidator(s) or confirm the nomination of Liquidator(s) by member(s);
To consider and if thought fit, appoint a Committee of Inspection consisting of not more than 5 persons, whether creditors or not, for the purpose of winding up the company; and
Any other business.

To attend, creditors have to nominate and vote thereat their Proof of Debt and a proxy form must be lodged with the liquidators no later than 4pm on 25 April 2025.

A copy of the Proof of Debt form, proxy form, a statement showing the names of all creditors and the amount of their claims . This notice has been dispatched to all known creditors of the company.

Any other person claiming to be a creditor of the company as at this date may write to the liquidators to request for copies.

Creditors would need to register their attendance by email to [email protected] no later than 4pm on 25 April 2025 to receive instructions on how to join the video conference via Zoom.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer on Unsplash
Published: 16 April, 2025

Winding up

Singapore: Creditors’ meeting scheduled for Vasi Shipping Pte Ltd

Meeting will be held via audio visual communication at 3pm to appoint a liquidator and receive a statement of the company’s affairs together with a list of creditors, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

1 week ago

April 14, 2025

Admin

A creditors’ meeting for Vasi Shipping Pte Ltd has been scheduled to take place on 28 April, according to a Government Gazette notice by the company’s director on Thursday (10 April).

The meetings will be held via audio visual communication at 3pm.

The agenda of the meetings will be as follows:

receiving a statement of the company’s affairs together with a list of creditors and the estimated amounts of their claims;
appointing Liquidator(s);
appointing a committee of inspection of not more than 5 members, if thought fit;
any other business.

According to the company’s website, Vasi Shipping provides end-to-end shipping solutions and provides ocean freight management services, specialising in the movement of fertilisers, minerals and chemicals within Asia and beyond.

Note:

A creditor entitled to attend the above meeting may appoint a proxy to attend in his stead. A proxy need not be a creditor of the Company. The instruments appointing a proxy must be lodged in the following manner:
by email to the email address at ([email protected]); or
by post to 11 Collyer Quay, #07-02 The Arcade, Singapore 049317; not later than 3.00 p.m. two days before the meeting or adjourned meeting at which it is to be used.
Arrangements relating to attendance at the meeting via electronic means (including arrangements by which the meeting can be electronically accessed via live audio-visual webcast), will be sent by email upon receipt and verification of the proxy form. The email will contain meeting ID and password details, as well as the link to access the live audio-visual webcast.
Pursuant to Section 445 of the IRDA, should creditors(s) with at least 10% in value of the total creditors’ claims require a place for the meeting be specified, please notify the Liquidators’ office by 14 April 2025.

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 14 April, 2025