Former employee of Shell Eastern Petroleum Tiah Kok Hwee was sentenced to 16 years and four months’ jail at the State Courts of Singapore on Tuesday (17 January) over his involvement in the Shell MGO bunker heist.
Tiah, 46, pleaded guilty earlier to 20 counts of criminal breach of trust involving nearly USD 68 million (about SGD 94 million).
According to court documents seen by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times, financial investigations revealed that the accused obtained criminal benefits of at least SGD 1.4 million through his offences. Tiah spent his criminal benefits on luxury watches, foreign property, investments, gambling and cars.
Some of the cars he purchased included a Honda Odyssey, Audi R8, Mercedes Benz C180 and BMW 316. He also used the money to purchase a property called “The Lone” in Bangkok, Thailand.
Tiah also admitted to four counts of dealing with the benefits of criminal conduct involving more than SGD 4.2 million. A total of 28 other charges were considered during sentencing.
Tiah first joined Shell sometime in 2005 as a Process Technician. From end of 2016, Tiah was an Shore Loading Officer-in-training. At the time of arrest, Tiah’s monthly basic salary was about SGD 4,500, and his annual salary was about SGD 80,000 including bonus, allowances and overtime pay.
According to the documents, he was regarded as a “key member of the conspiracy whose experience and expertise enabled the success of the operation.”
Juandi bin Pungot, former Shore Loading Officer of the Shell Pulau Bukom manufacturing site, was one of the masterminds of a long-term and large-scale conspiracy to misappropriate gasoil from the Shell Pulau Bukom manufacturing site as early as 2007.
Juandi received a 29-year jail sentence at the State Courts of the Republic of Singapore on 31 March 2022.
Juandi faced a total of 85 charges for criminal breach of trust (40 charges), money-laundering (32 charges), and corruptly giving gratifications to various surveyors (13 charges).
The Shell MGO bunker heist also involves others including Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram and Abdul Latif Ibrahim whose cases are currently pending.
Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Intertek Surveyor sentenced to four months’ jail for corruption
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Intertek Surveyor pleads guilty to corruption charge
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Shell Process Technician receives 195-month jail sentence
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Police seize property, cars, watches from ex-Shell Bukom Process Technician
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell blending specialist jailed over USD 956,000 worth of misappropriated gasoil
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Former Intertek, Inspectorate surveyors receive fines, jail sentences
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-CCIC Singapore surveyor pleads guilty to misconduct, receiving USD 12k in bribes
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician receives 184-month prison sentence over illicit involvement
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Syndicate member’s nephew jailed over concealment of safe containing valuables
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: 12 former surveyors from Intertek, Inspectorate, CCIC, SGS charged for corruption
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Former Shore Loading Officer receives 29-year jail sentence over total 85 charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Process Technician received minimum SGD 735,000 in benefits, faces 43 charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee admits leading role in illicit operation
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Sentek ex-Director faces 40 fresh charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Two former Shell employees jailed over theft
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: High Court affirms ‘Prime South’ forfeiture to Singapore State
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Three ex-Shell employees charged with bribing surveyors
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Second ex-Shell employee pleads guilty to nine charges
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: First ex-Shell employee to plead guilty over involvement
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm released from police custody
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Oil tanker ‘Prime South’ forfeited by State Courts of Singapore
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist: Director of Singapore bunkering firm face charge at State Courts
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Third offender pleads guilty for gas oil theft
Related: Captain of “Prime South” jailed in Shell Pulau Bukom gas oil theft
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Ex-Chief Officer of Prime South jailed
Related: Singapore: Shell MGO bunker heist amount balloons to USD$142 million
Related: Shell MGO bunker heist update: Fresh charges issued at Singapore court
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: More charges issued at court
Related: Shell Singapore oil heist: Breakdown of stolen oil cargoes
Related: Intertek Singapore employee among Shell oil heist suspects
Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 18 January, 2023
Still in the process of conducting an investigation of alleged debts to Coastal Oil Singapore, says Cosco.
As part of the agreement, Air Liquide will supply carbon-free hydrogen through specially designed multi-modal hydrogen storage suited for inland barges.
Authority noted an increasing variety of bunker fuels becoming available in the marine fuels market in 2022; with the introduction of methanol bunkering this year.
Wax Appearance Temperature is the actual Cloud Point of new fuels and is the most definitive cold-flow property to prevent wax precipitation, states VPS.
Supply remains tight in Gibraltar Strait ports; ARA fuel oil and gasoil stocks fall; calmer weather helps clear Algoa Bay backlog.
‘Contract marks our breakthrough in Asia and is a key milestone that strengthens our position internationally,” says Zinus CEO Endre Eidsvik.
KPI OC seeking to recover debt of USD 805,602.15 over five bunker deliveries, not including accrued interest of about USD 363,000 since 15 September, showed court documents obtained by Manifold Times.
Discussions around the need to develop methanol bunkering operations are taking place at numerous ports ahead of estimated demand of above 7M mtpa by 2030, says Chris Chatterton of Methanol Institute.
‘Economics of the shipping market will be the key driver enabling methanol to be adopted at a higher pace going forth over next couple years as market begins to return to more normal rates,’ states COO.
Integr8 Fuel injunction varied by Singapore Court to allow former employees to start work at Hartree Group in December 2022 following failure to produce evidence on biofuels development plans.
Variability of sources can affect the stability and performance of biofuel bunkers produced from these feedstocks, in turn leading to difficulties in meeting regulations and industry standards, shares Bryan Quek.
Top three positive movers in 2022 were Bunker House Petroleum Pte Ltd (+7), Eastpoint International Marketing Pte Ltd (+5), and Eng Hua Company (Pte) Ltd (+6); newcomer Sinopec Fuel Oil (Singapore) gets 19th spot.
