Three bunker clerks were due to be charged in court in Singapore Thursday for their part in the massive thefts of marine gasoil from a Shell refinery in the city state.
The three Singaporeans, previously employed by Sentek Marine & Trading, will be charged for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).
They have been named as Wong Wai Meng, 56, Wong Kuin Wah 59 and 55-year-old Boo Pu Wen, according to a statement from the Singapore Police Force.
It is alleged that the three intentionally aided Sentek by assisting to receive on board their respective vessels, gasoil which had been dishonestly misappropriated from Shell Eastern Petroleum’s Pulau Bukom facility.
The three men face 31, 28 and seven charges respectively, involving alleged offending between August 2014 to January 2018, of gasoil worth SGD 19m ($13.3m), SGD 18.6m and SGD 5.5m respectively.
In addition, the three alleged received gratification from former managing director of Sentek Pai Keng Pheng, as an inducement to remain out of Singapore in order to avoid investigations by the Singapore Police Force into the suspected involvement of Sentek and others, in the receipt of misappropriated gasoil from Shell Pulau Bukom.
Each bunker clerk will be charged with 12 charges under section 5(a)(i) of the PCA.
It is alleged that Wai Meng had corruptly received a sum totalling SGD 259,420 over 69 occasions while Pu Wen and Kuin Wah had corruptly received sums totalling SGD 286,040 and SGD 294,080 respectively from Pai over 71 occasions.
These bribes were allegedly given to them through various intermediaries, either in Singapore or Batam, Indonesia.
Pai himself faces 42 charges of consenting to Sentek’s acquiring of property which was another person’s benefits from criminal conduct under section 47(3) read with section 59(1)(a) of the CDSA. He also faces charges for corruption and obstructing the course of justice.
Any person who is convicted in Singapore of a corruption offence can be fined up to SGD 100,000, sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years, or both.
Any individual convicted of an offence under section 47(3) of the CDSA is liable to a fine of up to SGD 500,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both.
Sentek, which was once the second largest bunker supplier in Singapore, was recently charged over the theft of marine gasoil from Shell worth $56m.
More than 20 people have now been charged in connection with the 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.
