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Singapore-based Unix Line faces charge over oily waste discharges

Ship data suggests one of the illegal dumping events occurred three nautical miles west of Golden Gate Bridge.

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Unix Line Pte Ltd, the primary ship management arm of MOL Chemical Tankers Pte. Ltd., shipowner FGL Moon Marshall Limited, and Gilbert Dela Cruz on Thursday (24 October) were facing charges of failing to maintain an Oil Record Book for bilge water discharges into the sea and with obstruction of justice at a U.S. Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The indictment alleges that the Zao Galaxy, a 16,408 gross-tonne, ocean-going motor tanker, was owned by FGL Moon Marshall Limited, a Marshall Islands company, and operated by Unix Line Pte Ltd., a Singapore company.  

An affidavit filed by an agent of the Coast Guard Investigative Service alleges that, on January 21, 2019, the Zao Galaxy set sail from the Philippines and, on February 10, 2019, the ship arrived at a port in Richmond, Calif., bearing a cargo of palm oil.  

According to the indictment, Dela Cruz, 37, a citizen of the Philippines, was the First Assistant Engineer on Zao Galaxy’s vessel crew and acted as an employee and agent of both FGL Moon and Unix.  

Dela Cruz was responsible for making entries into the ship’s Oil Record Book and for the operation of the ship’s equipment used for treatment and discharge of oil-contaminated water.

The complaint affidavit further alleges that, when the ship reached Richmond, examiners from the Coast Guard boarded the ship to conduct an inspection and previously-scheduled examination.  

As a result of that examination, investigators discovered videos showing that approximately four illegal overboard discharges of oily waste had occurred from Zao Galaxy’s engine room between the last week of January 2019 and February 11, 2019.  

According to the affidavit, the ship’s location data suggested that one of the illegal dumping events occurred when the Zao Galaxy was approximately three nautical miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The complaint affidavit additionally alleges that Dela Cruz had ordered another crew member to perform the illegal overboard discharge at night to facilitate the emptying, cleaning, and repainting of the Zao Galaxy’s Primary Bilge Tank prior to the Coast Guard’s examination.  

Dela Cruz is also alleged to have ordered another crew member to use a flange/hose system to facilitate the dumping of the oily waste while avoiding the ship’s normal oily waste management system.  

The Zao Galaxy’s Oil Record Book contained no entries documenting these illegal discharges of oily waste.  The indictment also alleges that Dela Cruz attempted to persuade a lower-level crewmember to withhold relevant information regarding the dumping from the Coast Guard.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / M.L. Jacobs
Published: 30 October, 2019

 

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Winding up

Singapore: High Court to hear Norvic Shipping Asia winding up application on 31 July

Application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to Government Gazette notice.

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RESIZED singapore high court

An application for the winding up of Norvic Shipping Asia Pte Ltd was filed by Netherlands-registered Mur Shipping BV on 8 April, according to a Tuesday (21 July) notice on the Government Gazette.

It noted the winding up application is directed to be heard before the Judge sitting in the General Division of the High Court at 10am on 31 July.

Any creditor or contributory of the company desiring to support or oppose the making of an order on the winding up application may appear at the time of hearing by himself or his counsel for that purpose.

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 solicitors of the applicant’s, Oon & Bazul LLC, on payment of the regulated charge for the same.

The Applicant’s address is Hiridostraat 5, Gebouw Prismatrium, 1101CW Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The Applicant’s solicitors are Oon & Bazul LLC of 103 Penang Rd, #04-04/05/06 Singapore 238467. 

Queries on the winding up application may be directed to the following email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected].

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 22 July, 2026

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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