Crime

Malaysia: MMEA detains Panama-registered cargo ship over alleged anchoring violation

Ship along with 19 crew were detained to assist with the investigation after it was suspected of anchoring without permission under Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

Published

1 year ago

October 11, 2023

Admin

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (10 October) said it detained a Panama-registered cargo ship suspected of anchoring without permission at 17 nautical miles west of Muka Head Penang on 9 October.

Penang MMEA Acting Director and Maritime Commander Nak Rong Si Prom said the Penang Maritime Operations Centre received information from the Penang Maritime Department that the ship, MV Wisdom Grace, did not have permission to anchor in the position in question.

An order was then given out to conduct routine inspection and search on the cargo ship.

During the inspection, MMEA officers found 19 crew members including the captain, all from China, onboard. They were aged between 27 and 54.

The ship along with the crew were detained to assist with the investigation after it was suspected of anchoring without permission under Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 11 October, 2023

Related Topics:Legal - Crime Legal - Vessel arrest

Up Next

OFAC sanctions tanker owners for Russian price cap violations

Don't Miss

Singapore: Creditors’ meeting for Indradi Maritime adjourned to 16 October

Bunker Fuel

MPA: Sentek Marine & Trading bunkering licenses to expire on 3 February

Sentek will cease to be licensed from 3 February 2025 at 4pm and must not continue to operate as a bunker supplier and bunker craft operator within the Singapore Port, says MPA.

Published

2 days ago

January 21, 2025

Admin

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Monday (20 January) said the bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licences of Sentek Marine & Trading Pte Ltd (Sentek) will expire at 4pm on 3 February 2025.

“From 3 February 2025, 4pm, Sentek Marine & Trading Pte Ltd will cease to be licensed and must not continue to operate as a bunker supplier and/or bunker craft operator within the Singapore Port,” MPA said in Port Marine Circular No 2 of 2025.

On 4 September 2024, MPA initially said it would not be renewing the bunkering licences of Sentek, which would expire on 17 September and the company would cease to be licensed on and from 18 September.

However, later, MPA announced it has extended the bunkering licences of Sentek for a limited amount of time, “pending the final disposal of the appeals” by the company.

In late August last year, Manifold Times reported the General Division of the High Court dismissing an application from Sentek to quash MPA’s refusal to renew its bunker supplier and bunker craft operator licenses.

At the time, a Sentek representative told Manifold Times it was planning to appeal the High Court decision.

MPA also reminded all bunker licensees, including bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators, to comply strictly with all the terms and conditions of the respective bunker licence(s).

“MPA will not hesitate to take firm action against any licensee that contravenes any of its bunker licence terms and conditions, including taking into account such contraventions in considering whether to renew the bunker licence(s), suspending or cancelling the bunker licence(s), and/or taking enforcement action against any such bunker licensee,” it said.

Related: Singapore: Sentek Marine & Trading secures temporary extension of bunker licences
Related: MPA: Sentek Marine & Trading bunkering licenses to cease from 18 September
Related: Singapore: Sentek application to quash MPA’s refusal to renew bunkering licences dismissed

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 21 January, 2025

Legal

Singapore: Charges against Founder of Zenrock abated following his death

Xie Chun and his former Operations Executive, Zhang Taiming, were charged in 2022 for offences relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery involving more than USD105 million.

Published

7 days ago

January 16, 2025

Admin

Singapore’s court proceedings over multiple charges against the founder of Singapore-based oil trading firm Zenrock Commodities have come to an end following his death, The Straits Times reported on Wednesday (15 January).

The charges against Xie Chun, who was accused of several offences including cheating, were abated after a pre-trial conference on 9 January.

An Attorney-General’s Chambers spokesperson told The Straits Times that the criminal charges against were abated following an application of the defence after Xie Chun passed away on 3 January.

No details of his death were revealed by the spokesperson.

In 2020, HSBC accused Zenrock of dishonestly obtaining multiple sources of financing for crude cargoes.

HSBC filed a court application on 4 May to place Zenrock under judicial management, a form of debt restructuring, to recover funds it said it is owed.

In 2022, Singapore Police Force charged Xie, who was also the former Director of Zenrock, and his former Operations Executive, Zhang Taiming, for offences relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust, and forgery involving more than USD105 million.

Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department of the SPF revealed that sometime between February and March 2020, Xie and Zhang Taiming had allegedly used forged documents to cheat the Bank of China Limited (Singapore) of a sum of USD54 million.

Both Xie and Zhang Taiming are also alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust by dishonestly re-assigning to the Bank of China Limited (Singapore) the proceeds from a sale of cargo oil that it had charged to Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (Singapore) and cheated Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank of a sum of USD17 million.

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

Related: Liquidators issue notice of intended dividend for ZenRock Commodities Trading
Related: Liquidators of Zenrock Commodities announce intended dividend to creditors
Related: Zenrock Commodities files for winding up order, hearing date set
Related: Singapore: High Court grant HSBC’s request to place Zenrock under judicial management
Related: Singapore: Troubled Zenrock Commodities rumoured to be winding down in August
Related: Update: Hearing date set for HSBC application to place Zenrock under judicial management
Related: Zenrock assents to HSBC’s application for it to be placed under judicial management
Related: Argus Media: HSBC accuses Singapore’s Zenrock of ‘suspicious’ trades
Related: HSBC accuses Zenrock of fraudulent dealings, files for legal action amid credit concerns
Related: Winson Group and ZenRock Commodities reassure fiscal stability despite Hin Leong fiasco

Photo credit: Ekaterina Bolovtsova
Published: 16 January, 2024

Legal

Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk gets jail time for helping Sentek acquire misappropriated fuel

Wong Wai Meng was sentenced to seven years, four months and two weeks’ jail on 10 January for helping the company acquire more than 28,000 mt of the misappropriated fuel worth USD 13.58 million.

Published

1 week ago

January 13, 2025

Admin

A bunker clerk, who was previously employed by Sentek Marine & Trading (Sentek), was sentenced to seven years, four months and two weeks’ jail for helping the company acquire more than 28,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the misappropriated fuel worth USD 13.58 million (SGD 18.26 million), The Straits Times reported on Friday (10 January).

Wong Wai Meng, was working for Singapore-based firm Sentek at the time of the offences.

Wong, who received more than USD 286,000 from the company for his assistance, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to 12 counts of intentionally helping the company acquire the misappropriated fuel.

He committed the offences over 46 occasions between August 2014 and December 2017.

Wong is among the three bunker clerks previously employed by Sentek, who were charged for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

Another bunker clerk among the three charged, Wong Kuin Wah, 61, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail on 18 November for his role in misappropriating more than 27,000 tonnes of gas oil worth around USD 12.8 million (SGD 17.2 million).

The third individual who was charged, Boo Pu Wen, reportedly passed away in July 2023 and had his charges abated following his death, meaning Boo’s court proceedings over his 19 charges at the time came to an end.

Former Shell employees, who were key members of a group who dishonestly misappropriated fuel from Shell Pulau Bukom, were sentenced to jail in court earlier.

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