3 charged with graft in separate bunker fuel trading corruption cases

TWO fuel traders and the assistant manager of a shipping company were hauled to court on Wednesday (Jun 8) to face corruption charges.

All 3 were present to face charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The traders, Ng Kit Sze, 45, and Gary Lim Wei Xiong, 32, who worked at wholesale petroleum distributor Integr8 Fuels Asia, are accused of accepting and giving bribes.

Ng is said to have received a total of about US$95,000 from 2 people to advance their company's business interests with Integr8 between 2016 and 2020.

The 2 people she received bribes from were identified in court documents only as Loke Kin Aun, general manager of Seven Seas Oil (Hong Kong), and Michael, a bunker trader of Taimin Petroleum & Chemicals.

Ng also allegedly agreed to receive gratification of about US$15,000 from Michael in 2020.

Ng faces 8 charges, while Lim faces 4 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Meanwhile, the assistant manager of shipping company Pacific International Lines Ong Zhi Xian, 33, faces four charges for allegedly accepting S$1,200 in bribes from Lim on 3 occasions, so that Ong would advance the business interests of Integr8 with Pacific International Lines.

The alleged offences occurred between December 2020 and March last year.

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Lim is also said to have agreed to give a S$400 bribe to Ong in April last year.

Ong and Lim are scheduled to return to court on Jul 6, while Ng is slated to be in court next on Jul 20.

For each charge of corruption, they can be fined up to S$100,000, jailed for up to 5 years, or both. THE STRAITS TIMES