Singapore court hears defence from ex-bunker trader charged with abetting in stealing fuel

Former Singapore bunker fuel trader Chua Boon Chye's defence lawyers put forward their closing statements Tuesday in response to charges that he abetted in stealing marine fuel oil.

The final judgement on the case will be given on November 13, 2013, the judge said. The judgment was initially due Tuesday.

The defence also took the opportunity to respond to the prosecution's closing statements which had been submitted to the judge in writing, prior to Tuesday's hearing.

Chua was formerly managing director of Aegean Bunkering (Singapore) Pte Ltd and the alleged incident took place during his tenure at Aegean on October 29, 2007.

Chua was charged last year by Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau on April 20, 2012, according to court documents.

At that time, Chua was charged with abetting "by instigating one Thet Lwin to commit an offence of dishonestly receiving stolen property ... by instructing ... Thet Lwin to receive 105 mt of marine fuel oil valued at S$69,106.70 belonging to .... Chevron Singapore Pte Ltd., when ... [Chua] had reason to believe the said marine fuel oil to be stolen property," the documents said.

He was charged with committing an offence "punishable under Section 411(1) read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224."

In the closing remarks, the defence lawyers said that the evidence before the court showed the accused was not on board the bunker barge when the allegedly stolen marine fuel oil was received by the bunker clerk, Thet Lwin.

The bunker clerk was also the only one on board when the fuel was received and the "issue of receipt" here was essential to the charge of "receiving stolen property," Chua's defence lawyers said.

In his role at Aegean, Chua "sourced" the fuel but did not receive the physical fuel nor receive commission for the bunker fuel transaction, his lawyers said in defence.

The prosecution chose to rest on its closing submission.
Source: Platts