One of Singapore’s former largest bunker suppliers was charged in court Thursday for its part in the large-scale theft of marine gas oil from Shell.
Sentek Marine & Trading was charged in court with offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA).
The company is accused of acquiring property which it knew was another person’s benefit from criminal conduct, being offences under section 47(3) of the CDSA, according to the Singapore Police Force.
The charges allege that, between August 2014 and January 2018 at Pulau Bukom, Sentek received on board its vessels a total of about 118,131 tonnes of marine gasoil, valued at over $56m, which had been dishonestly misappropriated from Shell Eastern Petroleum.
Each of Sentek’s offences is punishable upon conviction with a fine not exceeding SGD1m ($700,000) or twice the value of the property in respect of which the offence was committed, whichever is higher.
In early August former Sentek managing director Pai Keng Pheng was also charged with 42 related charges under the CDSA.
He additionally faces 30 charges for corruptly giving gratification under Section 5(b)(i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 11 charges for obstructing the course of justice under Section 204A of the Penal Code.
If he is convicted under the CDSA, Pai faces imprisonment for up to 10 years, or a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
An offence under Section 204A read with Section 109 of the Penal Code carries a prison term of up to seven years, or fine, or both.
Sentek was listed as Singapore’s second-largest bunker supplier by volume in 2019, according to the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore.
More than 20 people have now been charged in connection with the massive theft, including not only former Shell employees but also those of bunker tanker operators and surveying companies.
The prosecution of many of the accused continues. Several have already been found guilty and given hefty prison sentences.
Earlier this week, a former surveyor was jailed for 18 months for accepting bribes totaling $90,000 for turning a blind eye over theft from the Shell refinery in Singapore.
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Nor is said to have helped conceal 15 incidents involving the theft of gas oil worth more than $10m.
