Business

Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk pleads guilty to helping Sentek acquire misappropriated fuel

Wong Wai Meng, who received more than USD 286,000 from Sentek Marine & Trading for his assistance, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of intentionally helping the firm acquire the misappropriated marine gas.

Published

7 hours ago

on

December 2, 2024

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Admin

A bunker clerk, Wong Wai Meng, who received more than USD 286,000 (SGD 384,681) from Singapore-based Sentek Marine & Trading (Sentek) for his assistance, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of intentionally helping the company acquire misappropriated marine gas oil, The Straits Times reported on Friday (29 November).

The 58-year-old Singaporean was employed at the Sentek when he assisted in acquiring more than 28,000 metric tonnes (mt) of the misappropriated fuel worth USD 13.58 million (SGD 18.26 million).

Wong committed the offences over 46 occasions between August 2014 and December 2017.

Wong is among the three bunker clerks previously employed by Sentek, who were charged for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

Another bunker clerk among the three charged, Wong Kuin Wah, 61, was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail on 18 November for his role in misappropriating more than 27,000 tonnes of gas oil worth around USD 12.8 million (SGD 17.2 million).

The third individual who was charged, Boo Pu Wen, reportedly passed away in July 2023 and had his charges abated following his death, meaning Boo’s court proceedings over his 19 charges at the time came to an end.

Former Shell employees, who were key members of a group who dishonestly misappropriated fuel from Shell Pulau Bukom, were sentenced to jail in court earlier.

Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:

Photo credit: Katrin Bolovtsova
Published: 2 December, 2024

Legal

Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk sentenced to 7.5 year in jail

Wong Kuin Wah, 61, reportedly helped the Singapore-based company he worked to acquire misappropriated gas oil and committed the offences over 45 occasions between August 2014 and January 2018.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

November 20, 2024

By

Admin

A bunker clerk, previously employed by Sentek Marine & Trading Pte Ltd (Sentek), was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail on 18 November for his role in misappropriating more than 27,000 tonnes of gas oil worth around USD 12.8 million (SGD 17.2 million), The Straits Times reported.

Wong Kuin Wah, 61, reportedly helped the company acquire the gas oil and committed the offences over 45 occasions between August 2014 and January 2018.

The firm was involved in buying and selling fuels, including gas oil, at the time of the offences, with Wong assigned to a bunkering vessel called Sentek 26.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty to 12 counts of facilitating the receipt of the misappropriated fuel.

Wong also had 12 graft charges withdrawn and the court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them.

Manifold Times previously reported three bunker clerks, previously employed by Sentek, being charged in Court for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

They were Singaporeans Wong Kuin Wah, Wong Wai Meng, and Boo Pu Wen.

It was alleged that Wai Meng, Kuin Wah and Pu Wen intentionally aided Sentek in acquiring property which was another person’s benefits from criminal conduct, by assisting to receive on board their respective vessels, gasoil which had been dishonestly misappropriated from Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd’s facility (Shell Pulau Bukom). They were charged for offences under Section 47(3) of the CDSA, read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, and punishable under Section 47(6)(a) of the CDSA.

Former Shell employees, who were key members of a group who dishonestly misappropriated fuel from Shell Pulau Bukom, were sentenced to jail in court earlier.

Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:

Photo credit: Katrin Bolovtsova
Published: 20 November, 2024

Legal

Hin Leong Founder O.K. Lim sentenced to over 17 years in jail for cheating, forgery

Lim Oon Kuin received a 17 years and six months jail sentence on three charges of cheating and forgery in Singapore State Courts, according to local media.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

November 19, 2024

By

Admin

The Founder of Hin Leong Trading Lim Oon Kuin, also known as O.K. Lim, on Monday (18 November) was sentenced to 17 years and six months in jail on three charges of cheating and forgery at the State Courts of Singapore, according to local media.

He will be appealing against the sentence and his bail of SGD 4 million has been extended.

Lim was convicted in May 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.

The 82-year-old 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, and Lim claimed trial to these charges.

The trial proceeded on three charges:

Two charges of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, and,
One charge of instigating forgery for the purpose of cheating under Section 468 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code.

These three charges concern two fraudulent discounting applications made by Hin Leong to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), pursuant to which HSBC disbursed a total of USD 111,683,939 to Hin Leong. The rest of the charges were stood down pending resolution of the trial.

The court found that Lim had, through Hin Leong employees, cheated HSBC by representing to the bank that Hin Leong had entered into two contracts for the sale of oil, with China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corporation Ltd and Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd respectively, and then applying for discounting of those purported transactions. In fact, the two transactions were complete fabrications, concocted on Lim’s directions, and the discounting applications were supported by forged or fabricated documentation.

An extensive coverage by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times regarding the fall of Hin Leong can be found below: