Singapore High Court News

Maersk Tankers Singapore Pte Ltd and Scorpio LR2 Pool Ltd have filed separate claims in the Singapore High Court against Winson Oil Trading Pte Ltd for failing to fulfil its contractual obligations, court documents show.The filings are the latest fallout in the unravelling of Hin Leong—once one of Asia's top oil traders—which has left creditors scrambling to recoup about $3.5 billion in debt.Hin Leong's collapse has triggered competing claims for cargoes and assets and ensnared…

A Singapore court has approved a freeze on up to $3.5 billion of assets of the family behind collapsed Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, boosting the prospect of debt recovery from the former oil trading empire that counts some of the world's biggest banks among its creditors.Hin Leong was wound up in March after failing in a year-long effort to restructure more than $3 billion in debts after the COVID-19-led oil crash laid bare huge losses. Founder Lim Oon Kuin admitted in a court document…

Singapore port operator Jurong Port has completed its acquisition of a stake in a major oil storage terminal in the city-state from the family behind collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, a port spokesman said on Saturday.The spokesman said government-owned Jurong Port had completed the purchase of a 41% stake in Universal Terminal from the Lim family. He declined to give details on the transaction.A lawyer for the family did not immediately respond to a Reuters email…

The court-appointed manager for Ocean Tankers Pte Ltd has applied to the Singapore court to return most of the ships the company manages to the shipowners, as cash is running low and Ocean Tankers will not be able to maintain the fleet, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.If successful, the move will allow Ocean Tankers, the chartering arm of embattled oil trader Hin Leong Pte Ltd, to resume its cash-generating business such as its oil lubricants business, for which a sales process is underway…

The court-appointed manager of Singapore Ocean Tankers (Pte.) Ltd is seeking to reclaim about $19 million from the Lim family directors of the firm, who allegedly transferred the funds from the shipping company to their accounts in April, court documents show.The interim judicial managers from EY said the Lim family "breached their fiduciary duties" by transferring the funds when Ocean Tankers was insolvent.Ocean Tankers, owned by Oon Kuin Lim, founder of embattled oil firm Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, and his daughter Lim Huey Ching, was placed under interim judicial management on May 12.The EY managers said in a statement of claim filed…

The Singapore High Court has appointed Grant Thornton Singapore as the supervisor of Xihe Holdings Pte Ltd and four of its subsidiaries, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.The court decision followed an application by Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd (OCBC) to place Xihe Holdings and the subsidiaries under the business adviser's supervision.The subsidiaries involved are Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd, Hua Guang Shipping Pte Ltd, Nan King Maritime (Pte) Ltd and Hua Xin Shipping Pte Ltd and these units together own five ships.Xihe Holdings is part of the Lim family business empire, which also includes oil trader Hin Leong Trading and fleet manager Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd…

The family that owns beleaguered Singaporean oil trader Hin Leong Trading (HLT) is seeking to block creditor OCBC's request to appoint overseers for the family's Xihe Holdings and four other subsidiaries to recoup its debt.Oversea Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) applied last week for the Singapore High Court to appoint judicial managers over Xihe, owned by the family of Hin Leong founder Lim Oon Kuin, known as O.K. Lim.Kenny Lim Oon Cheng, Xihe Holdings interim chief executive, said…

Two EY executives in Singapore have been appointed interim judicial managers of Ocean Tankers, the accounting firm said on Tuesday, following a Singapore court hearing to consider the shipping company's request to appoint independent managers.Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd (OTPL) is owned by the Lim family which also owns Singapore's oil trader Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, itself placed under judicial management in April as it seeks to restructure billions of dollars of debt.Under judicial management, a court appoints independent managers to run the affairs of a financially distressed company in place of existing management, a move that is often…

Singaporean shipping firm Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd, a unit of troubled oil trader Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd, has applied to be placed under the management of a court-appointed supervisor, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.Singapore's High Court is due to hold a hearing on an application by Ocean Tankers on Tuesday, according to a notice on the Supreme Court website. The notice did not give further details.Hin Leong and Ocean Tankers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Hin Leong, one of Asia's top oil traders, was placed under judicial management late last month as it seeks to restructure billions of dollars of debt.Hin Leong owes $3.8 billion to 23 banks…

A statement from a Singapore Ministry of Law spokesperson outlines details of  a Bill for read in Parliament today regarding maritime salvage:The Singapore Ministry of Law will table the High Court (Admiralty Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill (“the Bill”) for First Reading in Parliament on 4 May 2020. The High Court (Admiralty Jurisdiction) Act is the primary legislation on admiralty jurisdiction in Singapore. The Bill will extend the Singapore High Court’s admiralty jurisdiction to special compensation claims arising from salvage operations which prevent or minimize environmental damage, even if the ship or its cargo are not saved. Salvors may hence enforce such special compensation claims by way of actions in rem (i.e.

The founder and director of Singapore oil-trading company Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (HLT) directed the firm not to disclose hundreds of millions of dollars in losses over several years, he said in a court filing reviewed by Reuters.The affidavit signed by Lim Oon Kuin, a Singaporean in his 70s widely known as O.K. Lim, is part of a Friday filing to the Singapore High Court by HLT and subsidiary Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd, seeking a six-month moratorium on debts of $3.85 billion to 23 banks.The filing cites a collapse in the oil price and the coronavirus pandemic…

PT Marcopolo Shipyard (PTMS) has secured the approval for its restructuring plan to to place itself under a Penundaan Kewajiban Pembayaran Utang (PKPU) suspension of debt payment. It means, Batam-based unit of Marco Polo Marine has cleared the final hurdle to proceed with debt restructuring for the holding company and its key shipyard subsidiary under the two schemes of arrangement filed with Singapore's High Court. "The Board is pleased to note that pursuant to the above-mentioned application, PTMS has obtained the requisite court declaration made in response to the PKPU Restructuring Proposal that has been submitted, namely, that a valid debt restructuring has been agreed to by PTMS and the relevant creditors…

The ill-fated Hanjin Rome, owned by the bankrupt Hanjin Shipping Company - has been sitting off the eastern coast of Singapore for more than a month. The mid-sized cargo vessel was placed under court arrest here on Aug 29 after German shipowner Rickmers filed a civil claim for money it says it is owed by Hanjin. When the Hanjin Rome arrived in Singapore on 29 August, no-one on board expected anything other than a regular port call. Little did they know that their trip was about to come to a grinding halt. According to the Straits Times, Hanjin will have to apply to the Singapore High Court for the ship to be released, but for now, it is unable to berth or leave. "There is no development on this matter, nobody tells me any good news,"  Captain Moon Kwon Do said.

Cash from top shareholder, executives should cover offload costs. South Korea's government said cash held by Hanjin Shipping Co Ltd and funds pledged by its parent group should meet the costs of unloading some $14 billion in cargo stranded on vessels operated by the troubled container line. The collapse of South Korea's biggest shipping operator late last month has plunged the shipping industry into chaos ahead of the crucial year-end holiday shopping season as dozens of vessels and their crews wait for money needed to pay for port and handling fees. The government said a 60 billion won ($54 million) loan pledged by Korean Air Lines Co…

Rig-builder Sembcorp Marine (SembMarine) is currently embroiled in a dispute with Marco Polo Marine over a US$214.3 million rig construction contract that Marco Polo wants terminated. In a statement on Monday, Macro Polo reiterated its position that it is not obliged to take delivery of the rig, as Sembcorp Marine unit PPL Shipyard had failed to comply with certain contractual obligations. A unit of Marco Polo Marine has found cracks on all three legs of the rig and is seeking a refund of about $21.4 million it paid initially from PPL. The rig builder filed a case against Marco Polo in the Singapore High Court. Macro Polo alleged that 70 cracks were found on all three legs of the rig during a test, and more than 180 new cracks were found during a partial second test.

Singapore-based Otto Marine Limited informs of two applications by creditors to wind up its Reflect Geophysical Pte Ltd. (Chapter 50). management. The Company will make further appropriate announcement(s) as and when there are material developments on this matter. Shareholders are advised to exercise caution while trading in shares of the Company and refrain from taking any action in respect of their shares which may be prejudicial to their interests.

The company is subject to the jursidiction of several courts, but restructuring is essential in order to avoid bankruptcy. The Company previously announced on 5 October 2012 that some of its subsidiaries which had obtained protective orders from the Singapore High Court under section 210(10) of the Companies Act had the validity of those orders extended for a further 2 months. At a hearing on 27 November 2012, the Singapore High Court granted a further extension of those orders until 10 January 2013. This extension was obtained with the support of several major secured creditors of the Company. The extension granted by the Singapore High Court complements the ongoing PKPU process in Indonesia.