Legal

Judicial Managers considering to take former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum to court

Deloitte & Touche JMs believe IPP has a viable claim against Dr Goh Jin Hian for breaches of his director’s duties to act with skill, care and diligence which he owned to IPP, states court document.

Published

4 years ago

September 16, 2020

Admin

Judicial Managers (JMs) of former Singapore bunker supplier and bunker craft operator Inter-Pacific Petroleum (IPP, or the Company) on 27 August submitted an application to the High Court of the Republic of Singapore, according to documents obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.

The application was for the extension of the JM Order by a further six months (an earlier order granted the extension of the JM Order for a further 180 days from 3 March 2020) to consider taking Dr Goh Jin Hian, who was a director at IPP from 28 June 2011 to 20 August 2019, to court.

The JMs from Deloitte & Touche LLP are also considering if IPP should be placed in liquidation before any action against Dr Goh, and leave prosecution of Dr Goh to be handled by the prospective liquidators.

An extension of the JM Order by the court will allow the JMs more time to consider the above two options.

The JMs said they had been looking into IPP’s books and records and investigating its affairs since the Company was placed under judicial management.

“It was following such investigations that the JMs, in consultation with their solicitors, verily believe that the Company has a viable claim against one of its former directors (specifically, one Dr Goh Jin Hian (“Dr Goh”)) for breaches of his director’s duties to act with skill, care and diligence which he owned to the Company,” stated the document.

“Two of the Company’s largest creditors, Malayan Banking Berhad (“Maybank”) and Societe Generale, Singapore Branch (“SocGen”) have come forth to the JMs indicating an intention to fund the prospective legal action against Dr Goh in respect of this breaches of duties.”

Maybank is owed an amount of USD 88.3 million while SocGen is owed USD 81.3 million, according to a list shown during a creditor’s meeting on 14 November 2019 seen by Manifold Times.

A ten-day trial at the State Courts of Singapore meanwhile ended on 10 September with the bunker clerk of bunker tanker Fragrance, formerly known as Consort Justice, being sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment.

The Consort Justice was chartered by former Singapore bunker supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum at the time of arrest; the vessel has since been renamed as Fragrance.

A timeline organised list of events related to the trial of bunker tanker Fragrance is below:

A timeline organised list of events preceding the current development of Inter-Pacific Petroleum have been recorded by Manifold Times below:

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 16 September, 2020

Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains Panama-registered container ship for illegal anchoring

Ship, which had 20 male Chinese nationals onboard including a Captain, was detained about 29 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Karang at 1.40pm.

Published

9 hours ago

December 9, 2024

Admin

Malaysia: MMEA detains Panama-registered container ship for illegal anchoring

Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Saturday (7 December) detained a container ship for anchoring without permission about 29 nautical miles southwest of Tanjung Karang at 1.40pm.

Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the arrest was a result of information from Area Control Centre (ACC) SWASLA Klang which traced the position of the ship.

Malaysia: MMEA detains Panama-registered container ship for illegal anchoring

Acting on information from the Maritime Department of the Central Region (JLWT) that the ship did not have clearance to anchor, a MMEA patrol boat intercepted the container ship.

The ship is said to be registered in Panama with 20 male crew onboard including a Captain, aged between 30 and 59. All of them were Chinese nationals with valid identification documents.

Malaysia: MMEA detains Panama-registered container ship for illegal anchoring

Further examination of the documents found that the ship's captain failed to present any documents for permission to anchor.

The case is being investigated under Section 491B (1) (l) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which carries a fine of not more than MYR 100,000 or a jail term of not more than two years, or both, for anchoring without permission.

An arrest warrant on the vessel was issued and the captain and a crew of the vessel have been taken to the Selangor State Maritime Headquarters for further investigation.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 9 December, 2024

Legal

Vietnam: Two vessels seized over 31,000 litres of illegal diesel oil

Vietnam Coast Guard said vessels were transporting various quantities of oil material: “HP-3790” was transporting about 16,000 litres and “Phuong Nam 68” transported about 15,000 liters.

Published

9 hours ago

December 9, 2024

Admin

The Vietnam Coast Guard on Thursday (5 December) said it detained vessel HP-3790 in the sea bordering Hai Phong City and Quang Ninh Province.

The Coast Guard discovered the ship at 2pm on 4 December displaying several suspicious signs and ordered the vessel to stop for administrative inspections.

The authority proceeded to inspect the vessel, which had three crew members on board, and found it to be transporting about 16,000 litres of diesel oil with no invoices or documents proving its legal origin.

HP 3790

The Coast Guard also detained another ship, Phuong Nam 68, that also had three crew members on board at 10am on 5 December.

The ship was transporting about 15,000 liters of DO oil with no invoices or documents proving its legal origin.

As such, the ships were handed over to the Command of Coast Guard Region 1 for further investigation and handling in accordance with the provisions of law.

Photo credit: Vietnam Coast Guard
Published: 9 December, 2024

Winding up

Singapore: JITF Shipping and Logistics to undergo voluntary wind up

A liquidator has been appointed at an extraordinary general meeting held on 25 November for the purpose of winding up company’s affair, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

5 days ago

December 4, 2024

Admin

A notice in the Government Gazette was published by the Director of JITF Shipping and Logistics (Singapore) Pte Ltd on Monday (2 December), regarding a Special Resolution that was passed in relation to the winding up of the company.

The following resolution was duly passed during an an Extraordinary General Meeting of the company convened and held on 25 November 2024:

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 and that Ms Chan Li Shan c/o Agile 8 Solutions Pte. Ltd., 133 Cecil Street #14-01 Keck Seng Tower Singapore 069535 be and is hereby appointed liquidator for the purpose of winding up the affairs of the Company.

According to SGP Business website, JITF Shipping and Logistics’s principal activity is shipping, including chartering of ships and boats with crew.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 4 December, 2024