Chief engineer jailed in Singapore over bunker scam

Russian national Antonov Sergey, who was also fined SGD30,000 ($23,400), had secretly struck a deal with a bunker supplier to shortchange his vessel by 120 metric tonnes of bunker fuel.

The shortchanged fuel was then sold to an unknown buyer and in return, Sergey corruptly received $8,400 for covering up the botched bunkering operations.

Sergey's ship, Front Splendor, had ordered 2,700 metric tonnes of bunker fuel when it called at the port of Singapore in January. The Russian national had then agreed to accept only 2,580 metric tonnes after being bribed, allegedly by cargo officer Jason Choo. Sergey then falsified documents to his employers to cover up the bunker fuel shortfall.

Choo and two other alleged accomplices have been charged and their cases are pending.

A joint operation earlier this year involving the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) had uncovered the corrupt bunkering deal.

Deputy public prosecutor Asoka Markandu said Sergey should be jailed “to send a strong message to the international community that Singapore takes a serious view of illegal bunkering activities”.