Legal

Magnets on MFMs: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case

Assistant Boson of Singapore bunker tanker currently known as Fragrance sentenced to five-month imprisonment after being caught by MPA Port Inspector in June.

Published

7 years ago

August 28, 2019

Admin

The Assistant Boson of a Singapore-registered bunker tanker (IMO 9199701) currently known as Fragrance was sentenced by a Judge at the State Courts of Singapore on Tuesday (27 August) to a five-month jail term starting 15 June over tampering of a mass flowmeter (MFM) during bunkering operations.

“This is the first case of its kind where we have found tampering of MFM,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua during the trial.

Nurharyadi was charged under Section 7(1)(a) read with Section 10(1) of the Computer Misuse Act, Chapter 50A for interfering with the use of a Bunker Metering Computer (BMC) to accurately record marine fuel delivered to the MT Southern Glory.

Court documents obtained by Singapore bunker publication Manifold Times indicated Nurharyadi previously learning how to influence the recorded mass flow rate (MFR) on the BMC by placing an industrial grade magnet at a certain point on the MFM.

The action resulted in the BMC erroneously recording a higher MFR, falsely indicating a greater mass of marine fuel delivered into the receiving vessel on the computer than actually transferred.

On the afternoon of 13 June 2019, Nurharyadi was working with a bunker clerk to transfer 380 centistokes (cSt) grade fuel oil from Fragrance to MT Southern Glory; he affixed the magnet to the MFM around 10 minutes after starting the loading operation while helping the bunker clerk to keep a lookout for Maritime Port Authority (MPA) officers.

An MPA Port Inspector was in the vicinity patrolling the Eastern Petroleum Anchorage on board patrol boat MPA 2 when he decided to conduct a spot check on the bunker tanker delivering fuel under a supplier license from Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd.

Nurharyadi disposed of the magnet when he spotted MPA 2 alongside Fragrance and proceeded to inform the bunker clerk of the patrol boat; however, he subsequently confessed to the Port Inspector that he earlier placed the magnet on the MFM.

Following, the bunkering operation was halted with the MFM bunker delivery note recording 573.406 metric tonnes (mt) of fuel delivered. A note of protest later lodged by the Chief Engineer of MT Southern Glory indicated the vessel received 565.5 mt of fuel.

An investigation report from MFM manufacturer Micro Motion found the magnet had been applied on its MFM for 1.31 hours out of an operation lasting 4.7 hours, with the placement causing an additional 4.24 mt of marine fuel registered by the BMC than what was actually delivered.

The financial loss of the operation was recorded to be approximately SGD 2,174.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 28 August, 2019

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd issues notice of annual meeting

Annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

A notice of annual meeting was issued by liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd, which is in creditor’s voluntary liquidation, on the Government Gazette on Friday (7 August).

According to the notice, the annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an account laid before the meeting showing the acts and dealings of the liquidators and the conduct of the winding up in the preceding year.

The following are the details of the liquidators:

Ng Kian Kiat
Yap Hui Li
Liquidators
c/o 8 Wilkie Road
#03-08 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 12 August, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Annual and final meetings to be held for Asia-Pacific Shipyard Pte Ltd

Annual meeting and the final meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 9 September.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

A notice of annual meeting and final meeting was issued by liquidators of Asia-Pacific Shipyard Pte Ltd, which is in creditor’s voluntary liquidation, on the Government Gazette on Friday (7 August).

According to the notice, the annual meeting and the final meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 9 September.

The annual meeting will be held at 2pm while the final meeting will be held at 3pm.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an account laid before the meeting showing the acts and dealings of the liquidators and the conduct of the winding up in the preceding year and the manner in which the winding up has been conducted and the property of the company has been disposed of and hearing any explanation that may be given by the liquidators.

The following are the details of the liquidators:

Ng Kian Kiat
Yap Hui Li
Liquidators
c/o 8 Wilkie Road
#03-08 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 12 August, 2026

Sanctions

Reed Smith relocates sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore

Brandt’s relocation to the city-state is a direct response to increased client demand for sanctions advice in Asia, says law firm.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

Reed Smith relocates sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore

Global law firm Reed Smith on Tuesday (11 August) announced the relocation of global shipping and sanctions partner Alex Brandt from London to Singapore.

Brandt advises insurers, owners, charterers, brokers, and traders on all aspects of sanctions-related challenges, providing analysis of applicable legislation, assistance with due diligence work, and training.

He has extensive experience of U.S. and UK government investigations, disclosures, and enforcement actions and has been centrally involved in many of the most high-profile designations, seizures, and enforcement actions brought against members of the international shipping community.

Brandt also has wide-ranging experience drafting protective language for transportation, trade and financing contracts, and has worked with major lenders and other organisations to develop best-in-class compliance programmes. He also has sat on a number of BIMCO and other organisations’ drafting committees, assisting in the development of industry standard clauses.

In addition to his role in the global sanctions practice, Brandt routinely advises on contractual and tortious rights and obligations pertaining to a wide range of dry shipping matters, including charterparties, P&I club rules, bills of lading, ship sales and purchases, and shipbuilding.

Brandt has previously spent four years in Reed Smith’s Hong Kong office, where in addition to his dry shipping work, he assisted in a number of casualty investigations and criminal prosecutions arising from major casualties.

Praj Samant, Reed Smith’s Asia-Pacific managing partner, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Alex to the Singapore office, and back to Asia. He is a tremendous talent with a global perspective and commercial outlook, which is an invaluable asset to clients both in the region and beyond.”

Richard Hakes, global chair of Reed Smith’s Transportation Industry Group, said: “Our transportation practice’s commitment to Asia and to our clients based in the region is longstanding and Alex’s relocation is a direct response to the needs of our clients. We have a leading and growing shipping practice across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore – with a number of new arrivals in the last year. Alex will be joining that team at an exciting time for us, and at a time where there is high regional demand for his complex sanctions advice.”

Brandt added: “I am delighted to be making the move to a region I am very familiar with already. It is clear that our global clients require increased support in the region, and I look forward to working with the regional team here, as well as continuing to collaborate with our market-leading sanctions team globally.”

Photo credit: Reed Smith
Published: 12 August, 2026