Three Former Sentek Bunker Clerks Face Corruption Charges Over Shell Singapore MGO Misappropriation

The misappropriation of MGO from Shell's Pulau Bukom refinery over multiple years has resulted in a series of court cases. Image Credit: Ship & Bunker

Three bunker clerks formerly employed by supplier Sentek Marine & Trading are facing charges under Singapore's Prevention of Corruption Act for their alleged role in the misappropriation of MGO from Shell's Pulau Bukom refinery.

Wong Wai Meng, Wong Kuin Wah and Boo Pu Wen were scheduled to face the charges in a Singapore court on Thursday, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement on its website.

The three former Sentek bunker clerks are alleged to have assisted the reception on board their respective vessels of MGO misappropriated from Shell.

They face the following charges, according to the police statement:

• Wai Meng will face 31 charges, involving alleged offending between August 2014 to December 2017 and gasoil with a total value of about S$19,055,062.83

• Kuin Wah will face 28 charges, involving alleged offending between August 2014 to January 2018 and gasoil with a total value of about S$18,663,600.77

• Pu Wen will face seven charges, involving alleged offending between June 2017 to January 2018 and gasoil with a total value of about S$5,502,505.58

"Further, between February 2018 and January 2021, Wai Meng, Kuin Wah and Pu Wen allegedly received gratification from Pai Keng Pheng ("Pai"), the former managing director of Sentek, 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," the police added.

Sentek itself is facing 42 charges of acquiring property which it knew was another person's benefit from criminal conduct, the police said last week.