Connect with us

Business

Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-CCIC Singapore surveyor pleads guilty to misconduct, receiving USD 12k in bribes

Kumunan Rethana Kumaran turned a blind eye and kept quiet about any misappropriation of Shell gasoil and assisted in two incidents of concealing the misappropriation of gasoil worth USD 634,018 in 2016.

Admin

Published

on

2E101D2A 10BF 471B 9EDB F3FC498435B2

The State Courts of the Republic of Singapore on Friday (19 August) sentenced Kumunan Rethana Kumaran, a surveyor who formerly worked for CCIC Singapore Pte Ltd, to 15 weeks in jail over misconduct.

He was amongst 12 individuals charged at Court in April for corruption offences in connection to the conspiracy of misappropriating oil from Shell Eastern Petroleum’s (Shell) Pulau Bukom site.

Kumunan did not accurately report the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which CCIC was engaged to inspect and expected that he would receive money for doing so, according to a court document obtained by Manifold Times.

He also turned a blind eye to and kept quiet about any misappropriation of Shell gasoil.

Specifically, Kumunan helped former Shell employees Muzaffar and Juandi, and their co-conspirators to conceal the misappropriation of gasoil.

As a result of his assistance, two incidents of misappropriation of Shell gasoil worth USD 634,017.78 went undetected by Shell in 2016.

The two events led to Kumunan corruptly receiving gratification of a total of USD 12,000 (SGD 16,134) from Noruliman Bin Bakti (who left his employment at Intertek to work at CCIC as surveyor) as rewards for not accurately reporting the amount of cargo loaded onto vessels which CCIC was engaged to inspect.

These two incidents, taken together, amount to an offence punishable under Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is an amalgamated charge under Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

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

Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician receives 184-month prison sentence over illicit involvement
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Syndicate member’s nephew jailed over concealment of safe containing valuables
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: 12 former surveyors from Intertek, Inspectorate, CCIC, SGS charged for corruption
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Former Shore Loading Officer receives 29-year jail sentence over total 85 charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician received minimum SGD 735,000 in benefits, faces 43 charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee admits leading role in illicit operation
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Sentek ex-Director faces 40 fresh charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Two former Shell employees jailed over theft
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: High Court affirms ‘Prime South’ forfeiture to Singapore State
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Three ex-Shell employees charged with bribing surveyors
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Second ex-Shell employee pleads guilty to nine charges
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: First ex-Shell employee to plead guilty over involvement
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm released from police custody
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Oil tanker ‘Prime South’ forfeited by State Courts of Singapore
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm face charge at State Courts
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Third offender pleads guilty for gas oil theft
RelatedCaptain of “Prime South” jailed in Shell Pulau Bukom gas oil theft
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Ex-Chief Officer of Prime South jailed
RelatedSingapore: Shell MGO bunker heist amount balloons to USD$142 million
RelatedShell MGO bunker heist update: Fresh charges issued at Singapore court
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: More charges issued at court
RelatedShell Singapore oil heist: Breakdown of stolen oil cargoes
RelatedIntertek Singapore employee among Shell oil heist suspects

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 22 August, 2022

Continue Reading

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.

Admin

Published

on

By

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

Continue Reading

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.

Admin

Published

on

By

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

Continue Reading

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.

Admin

Published

on

By

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

Continue Reading

Trending