Connect with us

Legal

Singapore: Fake oil and bunker trader cheats woman SGD 93,000, sentenced to jail

Victim lodged a police report on 29 May 2023 and authorities arrested Muhammad Sharul Bin Anoor on 8 November 2023; to date, Sharul has repaid SGD 67 to the victim.

Admin

Published

on

RESIZED state courts

A 30-year-old former deliveryman posing as an oil and bunker trader received a 19-month jail sentence at the State Court of Singapore on Friday (12 July) after pleading guilty to seven cheating charges.

Sometime in 2022, Muhammad Sharul Bin Anoor (Sharul) created a fake profile with the name “Melcolm Tan” and met the 34-year-old victim in late August 2022 on an online dating website; they initially communicated over Telegram, showed documents obtained from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).

Falsely representing himself as an oil and bunker trader by occupation, “Melcolm” on 26 August 2022 told the victim she could invest in his shipping imports and make guaranteed returns of 3.5% by January 2023.

“Melcolm” told the victim that he would bear any losses, and that she would get her monies back. The victim transferred SGD 5,000 to “Melcolm” via Paynow through his mobile number on the same day but noticed the Paynow number was registered to Sharul after the first transfer.

Following, the victim messaged Sharul through WhatsApp using his Paynow number, but to maintain the deception Sharul lied that he was “Shan” who was an employee of “Melcolm” and would act as an intermediary between the victim and “Melcolm” going forward.

The victim believed Sharul and continued corresponding with “Shan”. Between August 2022 and March 2023, the victim was dishonestly induced to transfer a total of SGD 92,510 to Sharul. She used SGD 50,000 from her own personal savings and took out loans for the remaining amounts.

Sharul dissipated the monies on his renovation, car and credit card repayments. Details of several transactions are below:

Date Amount transferred to Sharul Fales representations by “Shan”
2 September 2022 SGD 8,000 Claimed “Melcolm” lost his credit card and needed funds to pay for his hotel expenses in Indonesia and his return flight to Singapore.
15 September 2022 SGD 6,000 Claimed “Melcolm” wanted to transfer the funds to “Shan”, and asked the victim to transfer the monies on his behalf.
11 October 2022 SGD 20,000 Claimed “Melcolm” needed the funds to close a deal as his friends had cheated him of $340,000.
16 November 2022 SGD 10,000 Claimed “Melcolm” needed the funds to pay customs duties to avoid being arrested.
19 December 2022 SGD 9,500 Claimed “Melcolm” needed the funds to pay his fines so that his lawyer could secure the release of his assets.
22 December 2022 SGD 7,000 Claimed “Melcolm” needed to transfer the funds to “Shan” to help with “Shan”s loans.

From March 2023, the victim attempted to meet “Melcolm” and “Shan” on various occasions to discuss the repayment of the monies, but Sharul repeatedly failed to turn up for these meetings.

Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a police report on 29 May 2023; Sharul was eventually traced and arrested on 8 November 2023.  To date, Sharul has repaid SGD 67 to the victim.

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 16 July 2024

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

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Admin

Published

on

By

RESIZED Drew Beamer

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July). 

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Trending