AT THE COURTS Shell oil heist: Iail for man who helped siphon fuel worth over $17m

A bunker clerk helped the Singapore-based company he worked for acquire more than 27,000 tonnes of misappropriated gas oil worth around US$12.82 million (more than S$17.4 million, according to court documents) in total.

- Shamq Alkhatib

Wong Kuin Wah, who was then working for Sentek Marine & Trading, committed the offences over 45 occasions between August 2014 and January 2018.

The firm was involved in buying and selling fuels, including gas oil, at the time of the offences, with Wong assigned to a bunkering vessel called Sentek 26.

The 61-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to 12 counts of facilitating the receipt of the misappropriated fuel before he was sentenced to seven years and six months, jail on Nov 18.

Sixteen other charges were considered during sentencing. He also had 12 graft charges withdrawn and the court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them. This means, he cannot be charged again over the same offences.

Gas oil is refined crude oil and is often used as fuel and an alternative to diesel in some countries.