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Societe Generale lawsuit against NewOcean Petroleum dropped, party to counterclaim

‘Directors will on behalf of NewOcean Petroleum seek, apart from legal costs, full compensation of any such loss, by legal action if necessary,’ states parent firm.

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A legal suit from the Singapore branch of Societe Generale at the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region against bunkering firm NewOcean Petroleum Company Limited (NewOcean Petroleum) has been dropped by the court, informed Hong Kong-listed parent NewOcean Energy Holdings Limited (NewOcean Energy) on Tuesday (22 October).

“On the joint application of the Plaintiff and NewOcean Petroleum pursuant to Order 42 rule 5A of the Rules of the High Court (Chapter 4A of the Laws of Hong Kong) the High Court has today ordered that the proceedings against NewOcean Petroleum under the Writ (as re-amended) be discontinued with costs to NewOcean Petroleum,” stated NewOcean Energy.

“By law and also by virtue of certain undertakings given by the Plaintiff to the court in related to the proceedings, NewOcean Petroleum will be entitled to compensation for the loss incurred arising from the proceedings.

“In view of the lack of merits of the Plaintiff’s claim as stated in the First Announcement, the Directors will on behalf of NewOcean Petroleum seek, apart from legal costs, full compensation of any such loss, by legal action if necessary.”

NewOcean Energy on 14 October said it will “vigorously contest” the legal suit from Societe Generale which sought to claim USD 20.5 million from NewOcean Petroleum due to a “constructive trustee” relationship with Pacific Dragon (Hong Kong) Energy Limited (Pacific Dragon), a company identified as Daisho Microline Holdings Limited (DMHL).

Societe Generale was seeking claims including allegations of conspiracy to defraud, breach of deed of assignment, breach of trade finance facility, breach of corporate guarantee and breach of personal guarantee from several defendants including Pacific Dragon and DMHL.

Manifold Times earlier reported DMHL’s Chairman to be also the alleged director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (IPP) and its parent company Inter-Pacific Group Pte Ltd (IPG) – firms which have filed for interim judicial management on 16 August at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore.

Significant and verifiable liabilities of IPP totalled USD 181.63 million consisted of trade financing from SocGen with an outstanding amount of USD 96.3 million, MayBank banking facilities of USD 69.8 million, account payables of USD 2.43 million to 10 players, and others.

The bunker craft operator licence of IPP was revoked by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on 15 October.

Former crew members of a Singapore-flagged bunker tanker (IMO 9199701) chartered by IPP, now renamed as Fragrance, are in the middle of trials at the State Courts of Singapore over tampering of a mass flowmeter.

Related: NewOcean Petroleum to ‘vigorously contest’ against Societe Generale lawsuit
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum bunker craft operator licence
RelatedMagnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice”
RelatedFirst suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
RelatedWith nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim juridical management
RelatedMagnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
RelatedIPP responds to temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence
RelatedMPA temporarily suspends IPP bunker craft operator licence
RelatedSingapore: Bunker Cargo officer, crew face charges over alleged MFM tampering

Photo credit: Wpcpey [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]
Published: 23 October, 2019

 

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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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Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July). 

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026

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