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Singapore: Former Coastal Oil employees face forgery charges over fake sales contracts

Ong Ah Huat was the former CFO of Coastal Oil Singapore, while Huang Peishi was a former treasury manager at the company, reports The Straits Times.

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A hearing focusing on the alleged criminal acts of two previous employees of the defunct bunkering firm Coastal Oil Singapore Pte Ltd was held at the Singapore State Courts on Friday (12 June), reported The Straits Times.

Ong Ah Huat, the company’s former chief finance officer, and Huang Peishi, the former treasury manager, were facing charges for being part of a conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating.

Ong faced a total of 58 charges where 44 were forgery related, while Huang faced 63 forgery charges.

The alleged offense by the duo caused Coastal Oil Singapore to take USD 9 million in losses, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran.

He claimed Ong and Huang created fake sales contracts in order to obtain financing from eight banks, including the Hong Kong branches of China Merchants Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, between July 2017 and December 2018.

The court heard Ong and Huang’s operations included Tan Sing Hwa and Carol Zong of Coastal Oil Singapore; however, details of Tan and Zong were not reveal during the hearing.

Working together, the four suspects produced fake documents to obtain credit totalling more than $13 million from China Merchants Bank from July 2017 to support sales of marine fuel oil to Sinfeng Marine Services.

The similar method was also allegedly employed by the four suspects to cheat money from other banks.

Ong was offered bail of $100,000, while Huang’s bail was $50,000.

Manifold Times earlier reported Hong Kong-listed COSCO SHIPPING International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd stating its indirect wholly-owned bunkering subsidiary Sinfeng suspecting fraud to be involved in the liquidation of Coastal Oil Singapore during December 2018.

It is believed Coastal Oil Singapore owes approximately US $357 million to 79 firms. Out of the total US $357 million, banks were the hardest hit taking up about US $354 million, or 99.1%, of total credit owed.

A complete coverage of the events leading to the current development has been arranged by Singapore bunker publication Manifold Times (in descending date order) below:

Related: Coastal Oil hearings progress, court grants liquidators access to Sinfeng documents
RelatedChina Merchants Bank legal suit with Sinfeng over alleged $13 million debt progresses
RelatedFraud suspected in Coastal Oil Singapore case, says COSCO
RelatedCoastal Logistics owned “Atalanta”, “Babylon” to undergo auction
RelatedSingapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Mercury” arrested
RelatedHeng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
RelatedCoastal Logistics owned MR tanker “Babylon” arrested
RelatedFraud suspected in Coastal Oil Singapore case, says COSCO
RelatedCoastal Oil Singapore: Creditor list surfaces in bunker market
RelatedSingapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
RelatedCoastal Oil Singapore creditors meeting scheduled on 10 Jan
RelatedCoastal Oil Singapore in US $380 million debt to at least 10 banks
RelatedSingapore: Coastal Logistics owned MR tanker “Atalanta” arrested
RelatedHeng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market
RelatedCoastal Oil Singapore to hold creditors meeting on 28 Dec
RelatedBreaking news: Coastal Oil Singapore under liquidation

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 12 June, 2020

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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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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.

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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

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