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U.S. Court fines Interorient Marine Services over illegal oil discharge

To pay a total fine of $2 million and serve a four-year term of probation for all ships calling on U.S. ports.
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International vessel operating firm Interorient Marine Services Limited on Wednesday (13 February) was convicted and sentenced by a U.S. Court for maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oil from the tank vessel Ridgebury Alexandra Z.

Interorient Marine Services Limited admitted that oil cargo residues and oily bilge water were illegally dumped from the Ridgebury Alexandra Z directly into the ocean without being properly processed through required pollution prevention equipment.

The company also admitted that false entries were made in the vessel’s Oil Record Book to conceal the illegal dumping.

Specifically, senior ship officers employed by Interorient Marine Services Limited discharged oily waste into the ocean by flushing the vessel’s pollution prevention equipment sensor with fresh water.

The flushing of the sensor tricked the system into detecting a much lower effluent oil content than what was actually being discharged.

These senior officers then falsified the vessel’s Oil Record Book, recording that 87,705 gallons of oily wastewater had been discharged properly through the pollution prevention equipment, when in fact they knew that this pollution prevention equipment had been tampered with.

“By illegally dumping oily waste into the ocean, Interorient intentionally violated federal law that protects valuable marine resources and wildlife,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

“This conviction shows that corporations and individuals that willfully flout our nation’s environmental laws will be held accountable by criminal prosecution.”

“My office is charged with enforcing federal and international laws designed to protect our oceans from pollutants carried by commercial vessels,” stated U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana. 

“Tankers are required to offload their waste oil at disposal facilities at ports and not into the Gulf of Mexico.  This case should serve as a deterrent to other individuals and companies that ignore our laws, pollute our waters, and damage our environment.”

“The Coast Guard takes its responsibilities to protect the marine environment seriously,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commander Daniel H. Cost, CO of Marine Safety Unite Lake Charles. 

“When potential criminal violations of our nation's pollution laws are identified, we work closely with the Department of Justice to ensure any illegal activities are prosecuted to the fullest extent of law.”

The company pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a), for failing to accurately maintain the Ridgebury Alexandra Z’s Oil Record Book.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the company will pay a total fine of $2 million and serve a 4-year term of probation, during which all vessels operated by the company and calling on U.S. ports will be required to implement a robust Environmental Compliance Plan.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Stephen Da Ponte of the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic/Wim Vrolijk
Published: 18 February, 2019
 

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Hong Kong-based Joint Vision Shipping plans windup of Times Shipping

Application for the winding up of Times Shipping scheduled to be heard at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore at 10.00 a.m. on 6 October 2023.
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3 days ago

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September 26, 2023

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Hong Kong-based Joint Vision Shipping Co., Limited (Hong Kong SAR Registration No. 3103011) is planning to windup Times Shipping Pte Ltd (Singapore UEN No. 202002249Z) at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore, according to a Monday (25 September) post on the Government Gazette.

Joint Vision Shipping first filed the application for the winding up of Times Shipping to the General Division of the High Court on 12 September 2023.

Following, the application for the winding up of Times Shipping has been scheduled to be heard in the General Division of the High Court of the Republic of Singapore at 10.00 a.m. on 6 October 2023.

Any creditor or contributory of the company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order of the winding up application may appear at the time of the hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the winding up application will be furnished to any creditor or contributory of the company requiring the copy of the winding up application by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charge for the same.

The Claimant’s address is 6/F Manulife Place, 348 Kwun Tong Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

The Claimant’s solicitors are Morgan Lewis Stamford LLC of 10 Collyer Quay #27-00 Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 26 September, 2023

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Creditors meeting for Anjasmoro Maritime and affiliated sister firms to be held in Oct

Meeting will be held for the purposes of receiving a statement of the company’s affairs together with a list of creditors and the estimated amounts of their claims, amongst others.
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September 26, 2023

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A creditors meeting for Anjasmoro Maritime and ten other sister maritime firms has been scheduled to be held by way of electronic means on 3 October 2023 at 1.00pm (SGT), according to the Government Gazette on Friday (22 September).

Information for the event is related to:

  • Anjasmoro Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200403118R) – 1pm (SGT)
  • Dewayani Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200105886G) – 1.30pm (SGT)
  • Fatmarini Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200207063H) – 2pm (SGT)
  • Gagarmayang Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200414648C) – 2.30pm (SGT)
  • Gandari Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200105809W) – 3pm (SGT)
  • Gandini Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200105885R) – 3.30pm (SGT)
  • Indradi Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200106034C) – 4pm (SGT)
  • Pramoni Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200807407R) – 4.30pm (SGT)
  • Tirtasari Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200107622K) – 5pm (SGT)
  • Wulansari Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200102335K) – 5.30pm (SGT)
  • Frabandari Maritime Pte. Ltd. (Company Registration No. 200207056H) – 6pm (SGT)

The creditors meeting will be held for the purposes of:

  1. receiving a statement of the company’s affairs together with a list of creditors and the estimated amounts of their claims;
  2. appointing liquidator(s);
  3. appointing a committee of inspection of not more than 5 members, if thought fit; and
  4. any other business.

Photo credit: Jo_Johnston from Pixabay
Published: 26 September, 2023

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Former CEO of Singapore-listed New Silkroutes Group amongst three others facing 31 charges at court

Dr Goh Jin Hian was the ex-Director of former Singapore bunker supplier and bunker craft operator Inter-Pacific Petroleum; he faced a USD 156 million civil trial at the Singapore High Court in April 2023.
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September 21, 2023

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Former Chief Executive Officer of Singapore-listed New Silkroutes Group Limited (NSG), Dr Goh Jin Hian, former Chief Corporate Officer, Oo Cheong Kwan Kelvyn, and former Finance Director, Teo Thiam Chuan William, were charged in court on Wednesday (20 September) with false trading offences under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA).

A fourth individual, Huang Yiwen, the sole director of GTC Group Pte Ltd (a commercial market maker engaged by NSG during the material time), was also charged with similar offences.

The four men were each charged with 31 counts of Section 197(1)(b) of the SFA read with Section 109 of the Penal Code for engaging in a conspiracy to create a misleading appearance with respect to the price of NSG securities.

They allegedly placed orders and executed trades in NSG securities for a purpose of pushing up the price of NSG securities on 31 trading days between 26 February 2018 and 27 August 2018. The alleged price manipulative orders and trades include share buy-backs conducted through NSG’s corporate trading account.

Dr Goh faces a further eight counts of Section 197(1)(b) of the SFA for allegedly placing orders and executing trades in NSG securities through his personal trading account for a purpose of pushing up the price of NSG securities on eight trading days between 31 August 2018 and 4 December 2018.

The charges above arose from a joint investigation carried out by the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force and the Monetary Authority of Singapore which started in September 2020.

If convicted of an offence under Section 197 of the SFA, offenders may be liable to an imprisonment term not exceeding seven years, or a fine not exceeding $250,000, or both.

Inter-Pacific Petroleum

Dr Goh, who was the ex-Director of former Singapore bunker supplier and bunker craft operator Inter-Pacific Petroleum (IPP), in April 2023 faced a USD 156 million civil trial initiated by IPP liquidator Deloitte & Touche over alleged breach of his director’s duties for IPP.

The Singapore branch of Maybank and Societe Generale (SocGen), both IPP’s largest creditors, are respectively looking to recover from exposure of an estimated USD 88.3 million and USD 81.3 million.

Reportedly, Dr Goh has said it was not the responsibility of the director to authenticate documents from management and he disputes against the banks’ own due diligence and credit risk assessments.

International Energy Group 

NSG in late March 2019 announced subsidiary New Silkroutes Capital signing a share sale and purchase agreement with Hong Kong-based TK Energy Limited for the disposal of the entire shareholding interests in International Energy Group Pte. Ltd. (IEG) for US $10 million in cash.

Singapore-headquartered IEG, which trades mainly gas oil and fuel oil, sells its products to international counterparties including oil majors and national oil companies.

In January 2021, stakeholders of IEG decided the firm can no longer continue business due to its liabilities and proceeded to summon a creditors’ meeting.

A meeting to distribute intended dividend to IEG creditors was later held in March 2023.

A timeline organised list of events preceding the current development of Inter-Pacific Petroleum has been recorded by Manifold Times below:

Related: Singapore: Civil trial between Inter-Pacific Petroleum and Dr Goh Jin Hian begins
Related: Former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum sued for USD 156 million
Related: Inter-Pacific Petroleum creditors authorised to fund lawsuit against former Director
Related: New Silkroutes under investigation over possible breach of Securities and Futures Act
Related: Judicial Managers considering to take former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum to court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group receives winding up order from High Court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group files for winding up application at High Court
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd bunker supplier licence
Related: Co-heads of Trade and Commodities Finance for Asia-Pacific leave SocGen
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum to hold creditors’ meet
Related: NewOcean detains Singapore-flagged bunker tanker “Pacific Energy 28”
Related: SocGen lawsuit against NewOcean Petroleum dropped, party to counterclaim
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum bunker craft operator licence
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice
Related: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
Related: With nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim judicial management
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum under judicial management
Related: Magnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
Related: IPP responds to temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence
Related: MPA temporarily suspends IPP bunker craft operator licence
Related: Singapore: Bunker Cargo officer, crew face charges over alleged MFM tampering

A timeline organised list of events preceding events of International Energy Group is as follows:

Related: New Silkroutes under investigation over possible breach of Securities and Futures Act
Related: Singapore: Gas oil, fuel oil trading firm IEG disposed for $10 million
Related: Singapore: International Energy Group to be wound up; calls for creditors meeting
Related: Singapore: Liquidator issues notice of intended dividend to IEG creditors

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 21 September, 2023

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