Crime
Singapore: Hin Leong Trading Founder to testify in USD 111.7 mil cheating, forgery case
Lim Oon Kuin will take the stand on 30 October onwards to defend himself against criminal charges involving Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and a Hin Leong contracts executive.

Published
2 months agoon
By
Admin
The Singapore High Court Court on Friday (13 October) heard Hin Leong Trading (Pte) Ltd Founder Lim Oon Kuin, who is accused of alleged forgery charges involving USD 111.7 million (SGD 148.7 million), will be testifying in his own defence, according to a CNA report.
Lim will take the stand on 30 October onwards, for about two to three days after the judge said there was evidence to satisfy each element of the charges and called on Lim to give evidence.
More than 100 other charges against Lim have been put on hold while this trial is in progress.
The 81-year-old went on trial when prosecution proceeded on three charges out of the total of 130 charges: Two counts of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of instigating a contracts executive of Hin Leong Trading to forge a false record.
The 130 charges were for the offences of cheating, abetment of forgery of a valuable security, and abetment of forgery.
The three charges relate to HSBC previously alleging Lim had falsified documents in order to obtain credit from the bank. In October, HSBC filed for legal action against the Lim family and a Hin Leong employee to recover USD 85.3 million of its USD 111.7 million exposure to Hin Leong.
In its filing, HSBC alleged that it was “fraudulently deceived” into lending USD 111.7 million by signing off a forged invoice for cargo sold to China Aviation Oil (CAO) for USD 56 million, the other for cargo sold to Unipec Singapore for USD 55.7 million.
In a related case, Lim and his two children who are also directors of Hin Leong were reportedly being sued by HLT’s judicial managers for breaching fiduciary duties as directors and fraud.
In a court filing, the judicial managers were looking to recover USD 3.5 billion (SGD 4.75 billion) on top of another USD 90 million in dividends which the trio had allegedly paid themselves despite the company being insolvent.
The judicial managers in May 2021 obtained a Mareva injunction to freeze the Lim family’s assets worldwide up to a value of USD 3.5 billion in order to recover the debt.
Lim and his two children are facing the liquidators of Hing Leong and HSBC Holdings in a separate civil lawsuit trial.
Mr Goh Thien Phong and Mr Chan Kheng Tek, the liquidators, are suing Lim, his son Evan Lim Chee Meng and daughter Lim Huey Ching to recover USD 3.5 billion (SGD 4.7 billion) in alleged debt and USD 90 million in dividends they allegedly paid themselves.
An extensive coverage by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times regarding the fall of Hin Leong can be found below:
Related: Singapore: O.K. Lim, children faces liquidators and HSBC in USD 3.5 bil civil lawsuit
Related: Former PA to Hin Leong Trading Founder found lying in CAD investigations
Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Trading Founder goes to trial for cheating, forgery charges
Related: Hin Leong Trading Founder faces additional 105 cheating, forgery charges in court
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Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Trading Director charged with obstructing course of justice
Related: Court of Appeal: Hin Leong, Lim family claim ‘without any factual or legal basis’
Related: Singapore: High Court dismisses UniCredit Bank USD 37 million claim against Glencore over Hin Leong transaction
Related: Singapore: Hin Leong takes Deloitte to court over alleged auditing failures
Related: Hin Leong Trading Founder OK Lim facing 23 new forgery-related charges at State Courts
Related: Application to wind up Hin Leong Trading subsidiary, Hin Leong Marine approved
Related: Singapore High Court approves Hin Leong Trading wind up order application
Related: Hin Leong Trading liquidates a third of its fleet to recover USD 3.5 billion debt
Related: Lim family aims to wind up Hin Leong Trading subsidiary, Hin Leong Marine
Related: Judicial Managers of Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd file for winding up order
Related: Hin Leong judicial managers to hold meeting of creditors to discuss fees incurred
Related: Lim family files application to wind up Hin Leong Trading subsidiary, Hin Leong Marine
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Related: OBS to wind up operations; creditor list alleges estimated USD 42 million debt
Related: Ocean Tankers publishes notice for creditors to prove any debts or claims for publication
Related: Hin Leong Trading founder denies allegations of forgery put forward by HSBC
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Related: Singapore High Court concedes interim judicial management to Hin Leong Trading
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Related: Report: Sinopec expresses interest in Hin Leong Trading stake of Universal Terminal
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Related: Singapore’s Police Force commence investigations into Hin Leong Trading
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Related: Report: Hin Leong Trading finances under scrutiny, amid credit pull from two banks
Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 16 October, 2023
Crime
Malaysia: MMEA detains three vessels for illegal anchoring in East Johor waters
Vessels, including those registered in Barbados and Copenhagen, were detained on 4 December and captains of ships had failed to present any document of authorisation to anchor in Malaysian waters.

Published
8 hours agoon
December 6, 2023By
Admin
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (5 December) said three vessels have been detained for illegally anchoring in East Johor waters on 4 December.
MMEA Tanjung Sedili Zone acting director Maritime Cmdr Mohd Najib Sam said the first ship, registered in Port Klang, was detained by a patrol boat at 11.30 am at 19.8 nautical miles east of Tanjung Sedili Kechil.
The second ship, registered at Bridgetown in Barbados, anchored at 11.30am at 18.1 nautical miles northeast of Tanjung Penawar.
And the third ship, registered at Copenhagen, was detained by a MMEA patrol vessel at 5.30pm at 21.5 nautical miles east of Tanjung Balau.


Najib said all captains of the ships had failed to present any document of authorisation to anchor in Malaysian waters and the case will be investigated under Section 491B(1)(L) Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.
He added that the detention of all three ships has brought the total number of ships detained for the same offence so far this year to 86.
Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 6 December, 2023
Crime
Vietnam: “BT 92009 TS” detained over 80,000 litres of illegal diesel oil cargo
Initial investigation found the ship, which had four crew members on board, to be transporting more than 80,000 litres of diesel oil with no documents proving its legal origin.

Published
6 days agoon
November 30, 2023By
Admin
The Vietnam Coast Guard on Monday (27 November) said it arrested a vessel with the number BT 92009 TS at about 130 nautical miles southeast of Hon Khoai island, Ca Mau on 26 November.
A patrol boat belonging to the Coast Guard Region 4 Command discovered the fishing boat at 12pm, ordered the vessel to stop for administrative inspections.
An initial investigation found the ship, which had four crew members on board, to be transporting more than 80,000 litres of diesel oil with no documents proving its legal origin.
As such, the authorities made a record of administrative violations and escorted the vessel to the port of Fleet 421 in Nam Can district, Ca Mau, for further investigations and handling in accordance with the law.
Photo credit: Vietnam Coast Guard
Published: 30 November, 2023
Legal
Oon & Bazul to shipowners: Measures to take before anchoring, conducting STS ops in Malaysian waters
Prakaash Silvam of law firm Oon & Bazul LLP shared with Manifold Times on steps shipowners should keep in mind before anchoring and conducting STS operations in Malaysian waters to avoid detention.

Published
1 week agoon
November 27, 2023By
Admin
Prakaash Silvam, who heads the Shipping Department at Oon & Bazul LLP, shared with Singapore-based bunkering publication Manifold Times what shipowners should keep in mind before anchoring and conducting STS operations in Malaysian waters as well as steps to avoid ships being detained by local authorities:
On 5 November 2023, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two vessels in Kapar waters, Selangor, for conducting STS oil transfer activities, without obtaining the due authorisation. Such enforcement operations are a frequent occurrence. Just in 2023 alone, more than 70 vessels have been detained so far for illegal anchoring and STS transfers.
What do shipowners need to do to avoid detention?
Pursuant to the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, it is illegal to anchor in Malaysian waters without obtaining a permit. Section 491B of the ordinance mandates that the vessels must notify the director of the marine or port office, regarding their planned activities within Malaysian waters, and obtain due authorisation. Failure to do so results in detention by the Malaysian authorities.
In addition to the lack of awareness of what the local laws require, it is not uncommon for there to be a misunderstanding as to where Malaysia’s territorial waters begin. For instance, the territorial limits in Southern Johor waters, often inaccurately referred as ‘Singapore OPL East’, extend as much as 60 Nautical Miles from the main coastline in Malaysia. There are no “international waters” outside Singapore waters and vessels are either in Malaysian or Indonesian territorial waters.
Shipowners are recommended to take the following measures prior to anchoring:
• Take additional efforts to check their exact location, such as keeping the “1979 Malaysian Territorial Waters Chart” onboard. The Malaysian authorities rely on this chart to determine if a vessel has entered its territorial waters. The regular navigational charts of this area may not be accurate with regards to the national boundaries.
• Obtain information on the designated anchorage area, by contacting the relevant authorities.
• Appoint a local agent and get permission from local port authority prior to carrying out their intended act.
What is the process should a vessel be detained?
Once a vessel has been detained, owners can expect the following investigative steps to be taken by the MMEA:
The Master and Chief Officer/Chief Engineer are usually taken ashore to MMEA’s office to give their statements. They are questioned about their qualifications and experience, details of the voyage undertaken, and reasons for anchoring at that specific location. The MMEA confiscates the ship’s documents and the passports of the crew members.
Once the crew’s statements have been taken, the MMEA hands over the matter to the Marine Department to prosecute the matter and a hearing before the magistrate will be fixed.
As per section 314 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), the owners are required to pay a bond in order to procure the release of the vessel. The bond is to secure any fine that may be levied on the shipowners at a later date.
After the bond has been paid and the documents of the ship are returned to the vessel, the vessel can sail. Subsequently, owners can choose either to admit liability or to dispute the charges. The maximum fine for each offence is RM 100,000 (approximately USD 24,000). The entire process of getting the vessel released can take up to a few weeks. Our Malaysian associate office, TS Oon & Partners, has substantial experience handling such matters and have represented numerous shipowners to release their vessels (some as quick as within a week of being detained) and substantially reduce the fines which are payable.
Related: MMEA detains two Malaysia-registered tankers for illegal STS oil transfer
Photo credit: Oon & Bazul
Published: 27 November, 2023

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