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Prominent prosecutor to lead spectacular lawsuit against Dan-Bunkering, reports ShippingWatch

Lead prosecutor Andreas Myllerup Laursen aims for a fine and a prison sentence in the so-called Syria case scheduled to commence in Odense, Denmark on 26 October, writes the Danish publication.

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Court in Odense

The following article on Manifold Times was originally written by Danish independent online media ShippingWatch; which has given the Singapore bunkering publication permission to post the article for its readers:

BY DAG HOLMSTAD
Published: 09.09.21

One of Denmark’s most experienced prosecutors will lead the lawsuit against Dan-Bunkering, Bunker Holding and CEO Keld Demant. The prosecutor aims for a fine and a prison sentence in the so-called Syria case, scheduled to commence next month.

One of Denmark’s most experienced prosecutors, Andreas Myllerup Laursen, will lead the lawsuit against Dan-Bunkering, Bunker Holding and CEO Keld Demant, charged with violations of the Criminal Code and EU’s sanctions against Syria.

The senior prosecutor from Danish organization SGIK, State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime, notably led the case against former MEP andvice-chair of Danish People’s Party Morten Messerschmidt who was sentencedto six monthsin prison for fraud and misuse of EU funds.

Laursen will be joined by senior prosecutor Anders Dyrvig Rechendorff, also with the SOIK, in the lawsuit against the two oil companies.

ShippingWatch has reached out to Laursen, who doesn’t wish to comment on the case prior to its proceedings, scheduled to commence in Odense, Denmark, on October 26.

Pursuing fine and prison sentence

However, when the SOIK outlined the charge against Dan-Bunkering, Bunker Holding og Bunker Holding CEO Keld R. Demant, the possible outcome, including its penalty, was announced: a fine for the two oil companies and a prison sentence for the CEO.

The companies and Demant have been charged as the authorities believe they either knew or suspected that a series of jet fuel trades to the Russian military in the Mediterranean were ultimately headed towards war-torn Syria. They thus violated EU sanctions and section 110c of the Criminal Code.

“It is our assessment that the deals with the Russian companies violate the EU’s sanctions. It is of course a very serious case if a Danish company violates EU sanctions introduced against another country due to a very critical and dire situation,” said Per Fiig, acting state’s attorney at SOIK, in November last year when the charges were presented.

Bunker Holding, Dan-Bunkering and Demant all deny the charges and have no further comments on the case ahead of its commencement next month.

Experienced defense attorneys in place

The defendants have teamed up with a team of experienced defense lawyers from three different law firms:

Dan-Bunkering will be represented by lawyer and partner Jakob Skude Rasmussenat Gorrissen Federspiel, which also has lawyer and partner Peter Appel sitting on the board of Bunker Holding.

Bunker Holding’s defense will be led by lawyer and partner Henrik B. Sanders from Mazanti- Andersen, known from a number of cases involving financial crimes (Memory Card Technology, Samson Bank, among others).

Keld R. Demant, CEO of Bunker Holding and member of the board in the subsidiary Dan- Bunkering, will be defended by lawyer and partner of Nyborg & Rordam Hanne Rahbeek.

The defendants previously told ShippingWatch that they look forward to presenting their side of the case in court.

“As we have always maintained, there is nothing in our internal investigations that has revealed that there were any persons in Dan-Bunkering or Bunker Holding that were aware of any potential breaches of EU sanctions on Syria.”

English Edit: L. N. Barnes & Christoffer Ostergaard

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

Related: Bunker Holding:  ‘No signs’ in alleged breach of EU sanctions post internal investigation
Related: Experts: Bunker Holding alleged jet fuel sale significant to outcome of Syrian War
Related: Bunker Holding ‘surprised’ at fuel sale charge; maintains ‘full confidence’ in Group CEO
Related: Danish prosecutor proposes jail sentence for Bunker Holding Group CEO over jet fuel sale
Related: Bunker Holding & Dan Bunkering allegedly charged over EU sanctions violations
Related: Dan Bunkering ‘surprised’ SØIK has pressed charges over alleged EU sanction violations
Related: Dan-Bunkering: Everything has been investigated – the case should be closed
Related: Name ban on parties involved with Dan-Bunkering Syrian jet fuel deal lifted
Related: Dan-Bunkering Middelfart office searched by commercial crimes police
Related: Firm linked to alleged Dan-Bunkering Syrian war activities under sanction
Related: Update: Dan-Bunkering Syria jet fuel supply ops allegedly longer than thought
Related: Dan-Bunkering faces preliminary charges by SOIK with violation of EU Syria sanctions
Related: Investigations on Dan-Bunkering over alleged Syrian jet fuel deal start
Related: Danske Bank casts doubts on Dan-Bunkering reason for Syria investigation
Related: Danske Bank reported Dan-Bunkering to police in EU sanctions case
Related: Bunker company acknowledges flawed statement in EU sanctions case
Related: Unioil Supply dragged into Dan-Bunkering sanctions allegations
Related: Dan-Bunkering has not violated EU’s sanctions against Syria, it insists
Related: Nordea highlights stance on compliance after Dan-Bunkering discovery
Related: Danish media alleges Dan-Bunkering jet fuel deliveries during Syria war

 

Photo credit: Court in Odense / Per Johansen
Source: ShippingWatch
Published: 10 September, 2021

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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.

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

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.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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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.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

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.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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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.

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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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