SINGAPORE — In a significant development following an environmental disaster, four Dutch crew members from the dredger Vox Maxima have pleaded guilty to negligence that led to the worst oil spill in Singapore in a decade. This incident occurred on 14 June 2024, when the dredger collided with the Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour at Pasir Panjang Terminal, resulting in approximately 400 tonnes of oil spilling into surrounding waters.
Case Details
On 12 March 2024, Richard Ouwehand, 49, Martin Hans Sinke, 48, Eric Peijpers, 56, and Merijn Heidema, 26, each admitted to one charge under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995. The legal proceedings took place at the State Courts, with all crew members represented by their own lawyers.
The Incident
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Regina Lim, the collision was primarily caused by a sequence of operational oversights. On the morning of the incident, a circuit breaker controlling electrical power on board remained open after maintenance, which should have been checked before the crew took over the engineering watch.
The Consequences
- The damage to Marine Honour is estimated to cost upwards of S$6.6 million.
- Environmental clean-up operations took over two months, and the full impact on marine life is still being assessed.
- The oil spill affected several coastal sites, including East Coast Park and Sentosa.
Plea and Sentencing
Prosecutor Lim has recommended fines between S$20,000 and S$30,000 for Ouwehand and Sinke, while Heidema and Peijpers face proposed fines of S$40,000 to S$50,000 each. The four will receive their final sentencing on 2 April 2024, where the court will consider their level of culpability.
Heidema and Peijpers were blamed for failing to ensure the electrical systems were operational, setting the stage for the subsequent failure. Conversely, Ouwehand and Sinke, despite their negligence, had a lower level of involvement.