Business

Official: Bunker Holding, Keld R. Demant and Dan-Bunkering will not appeal verdict, says statement

Bunker Holding and Dan-Bunkering have decided not to appeal the city court ruling in the case where the companies were on trial for breaching EU sanctions against Syria, states USTC.

Published

5 years ago

December 29, 2021

Admin

A/S United Shipping & Trading Company, the parent firm of group company Bunker Holding A/S, on Wednesday (29 December) released a statement indicating its decision not to appeal the verdict against its entities which were indicted of having breached EU sanctions in Syria:

In the judgement that was delivered on December 14th in the city court of Odense, the court found that Dan-Bunkering’s Russian branch should have known that the company’s Russian clients would likely use the fuel in violation of EU sanctions against Syria. The court also found that Bunker Holding and its CEO had acted with unintentional negligence in regard to trades made in the spring of 2017. The court did not find that the companies had acted with direct intent to violate EU sanctions or that Bunker Holding and its CEO had acted intentionally to breach EU sanctions.

Bunker Holding, Keld R. Demant and Dan-Bunkering acknowledge the decision of the court and have decided not to appeal the verdict.

Putting an end to a complicated case

“Through the entire case the companies have expected to be acquitted so we are surprised by the verdict. However, we have decided not to appeal the ruling because we want to put an end to the case. From the outset we have taken the accusations very seriously and we accept the outcome of the legal proceedings”, says Klaus Nyborg, vice chairman of the board of directors at Bunker Holding.

This is a very complicated case, which is also reflected in the fact that the judges were not able to reach consensus on Dan-Bunkering’s level of intent.

The judgement shows that it is no longer sufficient to screen trades against direct counterparties. Rather it points out the need to check your customers counterparts, even including several links downstream, in order to control the usage of the product being sold.

Comprehensive compliance system and procedures

Bunker Holding has traded in oil products to global customers for more than 40 years and is today the world’s largest bunker company. Since the company was founded, Bunker Holding and subsidiaries have operated in accordance with international sanctions and continuously expanded its capabilities as the requirements for sanctions compliance have increased. In the latter years the development and expansion of the company’s compliance system and procedures have been intensified significantly and Bunker Holding’s compliance system is today regarded among the best in the shipping industry.

The system checks more than 100,000 trades per year against international sanctions lists and media information while using Big Data and artificial intelligence to follow sailing patterns and the use of AIS trackers. Based on this, the system flags specific trades and can stop trades if it identifies unusual trading and payment patterns.

Since 2017 Bunker Holding has strengthened and centralised its global compliance team to ensure that the group’s compliance procedures function optimally. Bunker Holding has also further expanded its internal compliance training program for all employees in the group. Everyone undergoes annual mandatory training and newly hired traders must complete intensive onboarding training when joining the company. The compliance department also conducts training tailored for the specific needs of local offices based on their trading patterns and customers.

In the verdict, which is the first sanctions case brought against the company in its more than 40-years history, none of the counterparties that Dan-Bunkering were involved with has ever been on the EU’s sanctions list. As a result, the verdict highlights how difficult it has become to navigate international sanctions and underlines the importance of continuously improving internal training, systems and monitoring.

Strong support from customers and business partners also after the verdict

Bunker Holding and Dan-Bunkering have experienced continued strong and unchanged support from customers, suppliers, banks, and credit insurance companies as well as confidence in the compliance system and procedures that Bunker Holding has built over the years. The group’s compliance set-up is regularly evaluated and validated by external, international experts in the field.

Full trust in CEO

Contrary to Bunker Holding’s expectations, CEO Keld R. Demant received a suspended sentence for acting with unintentional negligence. The court did not find that he had acted with direct intent or intentionally had acted in breach of EU sanctions. Keld R. Demant accepts the verdict and has decided not to appeal.

“Keld R. Demant has the full and unchanged support of the board of directors and the ownership and will continue as the CEO of Bunker Holding”, says Klaus Nyborg. Torben Østergaard-Nielsen, chairman of the board of directors at Bunker Holding and co-owner of the company, also expresses his full support of Keld R. Demant.

We must learn from this case

For Torben Østergaard-Nielsen it is crucial that everyone within Bunker Holding learns from the case.

“It is a core value for me and the entire Bunker Holding group that we act with decency in everything we do. I regard this entire case and the fact that the court reached the conclusion that EU sanctions have been breached with the utmost gravity. This case simply does not reflect the values or the culture that we stand for and that we are known for. It has obviously been a serious matter for Dan-Bunkering and Bunker Holding, but certainly also for me personally. Bunker Holding is the world’s largest bunker company, and as such we have an obligation to take the lead in compliance and set the highest standards for ourselves to ensure that the company at all times abides by all trade sanctions”, says Torben Østergaard-Nielsen.

Note: Earlier Manifold Times coverage regarding Bunker Holding/Dan-Bunkering’s breaches of EU sanctions can be found below:

Photo credit: Bunker Holding
Published: 29 December, 2021

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

19 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

19 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

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

19 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Manifold Times

Official: Bunker Holding, Keld R. Demant and Dan-Bunkering will not appeal verdict, says statement

Business

Official: Bunker Holding, Keld R. Demant and Dan-Bunkering will not appeal verdict, says statement

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Winding up

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