Connect with us

Business

Magnets on MFMs: Trial ends with 35-month imprisonment sentence for Director of Seahub Energy

Estimated total value of MFO which was erroneously recorded as having been delivered to the receiving vessels across the 14 proceeded CMA charges is US$121,585.60, states court document.

Admin

Published

on

2E101D2A 10BF 471B 9EDB F3FC498435B2

A Judge at the State Courts of the Republic of Singapore on 9 June issued the Director of Seahub Energy Pte Ltd a 35-month imprisonment sentence, due to his role in a conspiracy to tamper with the mass flowmetering (MFM) systems on board Singapore bunker tankers Southernpec 6 and Southernpec 7 between October 2018 to April 2019.

During the period of offence, Eric Ang Heng Lye was employed as a consultant at Ocean Express Pte Ltd; around June 2018, Ang was acting as a consultant and partner of Success Energy Service Pte Ltd.

Ang pleaded guilty to 14 charges under s 7(1)(b) read with s 10(1) of the Computer Misuse Act (Cap 50A, Rev. Ed. 2007) (CMA); and (b) 1 charge under s 204A read with s. 109 of the Penal Code (Cap 224, 2008 Rev. Ed.).

Discovery of offences

Court documents obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times showed a Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) Port Inspector boarding the Southernpec 7 during a routine patrol on 19 April 2019.

The Port Inspector found a magnet attached to the bunker tanker’s MFM and subsequently alerted the Police Coast Guard; the authorities later decided to also investigate Southernpec 6 due to it being a sistership of Southernpec 7.

A request by the authorities to have the MFM vendor review data from the bunker metering computer (BMC) on both vessels found at least 66 separate bunkering operations during which the MFM was tampered with.

Summary of conspiracy

In June 2018, Success Energy started running bunkering operations for New Ocean Fuel Pte Ltd which chartered Southernpec 6 and Southernpec 7 for the delivery of marine fuel.

During this time, Success Energy instructed its cargo officers to use an industrial strength magnet to tamper with the MFM on board the Southernpec bunker tankers during bunkering operations for New Ocean.

To avoid detection, they would use tape that had the same colour as the surface of the MFM to disguise the use of the magnet on the MFM.

The purpose of using a magnet to tamper with the MFM is to cause a higher amount of bunker fuel to be recorded on the BMC as having been delivered to the buyer vessel than what was actually delivered; it therefore helped New Ocean to “save” on the bunkers delivered.

Court documents noted an accomplice of Ang collecting at least $40,000 per month from New Ocean for bunker fuel saved through the use of the magnet.

On average, the accomplice will pay cargo officers $50 for every metric tonne (mt) of bunkers saved. The cargo officers received at least $4,000 per month with some up to $11,000 per month, in addition to their base salary of $2,500.

“The estimated total value of MFO which was erroneously recorded as having been delivered to the receiving vessels across the 14 proceeded CMA charges is US$121,585.60,” stated the document.

“The estimated total value of the MFO across all 66 CMA charges (including those which have been taken into consideration) is US$336,930.63.”

A summary of the 14 CMA charges is as follows:

CMA Charge/// Undelivered Fuel to Vessel/// Value of Undelivered Fuel
01 16.7 mt to Sakizaya Ace USD 7,114.20
02 27.1 mt to Teton USD 11,327.80
03 22.6 mt to Dawn USD 8,859.20
04 13.5 mt to Antarctic USD 4,671.00
05 21.7 mt to Tasos USD 8,202.60
06 21.6 mt to Cronus Leader USD 8,078.40
07 35.5 mt to Angelic Glory USD 15,052.00
08 21.0 mt to Snowy USD 8,386.90
09 21,6 mt to PVT Sapphire USD 8,510.40
10 22.0 mt to Ocean Marvel USD 8,613.00
11 34.7 mt to Ocean Paradise USD 13,533.00
12 10.6 mt to Fortune Glory USD 3,678.20
13 19.8 mt to STI Manhattan USD 8,385.30
14 16.8 mt to Dato Fortune USD 7,173.60

 

The above article is the latest in the series of ‘Magnets on MFMs’ articles written by Manifold Times; earlier stories related to the development are as follows:

Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial ends with ten-month imprisonment for Bunker Clerk of “Fragrance”
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Driver posed as Southernpec bunker crew to commit MFM tampering
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice”
Related: Magnets on MFMs: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
Related: Magnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
Related: Singapore: Southernpec bunker supplier licence revoked by MPA
Related: Official: MPA revokes Southernpec bunker craft operator licence
Related: Magnets on MFMs: MPA suspends Southernpec bunker craft license
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Case of ‘a few bad apples spoiling the basket’
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Issue a breach of ‘Operational Security’ under TR 48 (updated)
Related: Singapore: Sea Hub Energy exits MPA bunker craft operator list

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 23 June, 2021

Continue Reading

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.

Admin

Published

on

By

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

Continue Reading

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.

Admin

Published

on

By

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

Continue Reading

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Admin

Published

on

By

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Trending