Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich & 23 Ors v Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel AMBASSADOR (IMO No. 9127148)

[2023] SGHC 2 High Court (General Division) 5 January 2023 HC/ADM 17/2017 ( HC/SUM 3316/2022 ) 10 min read

Key facts

Court	High Court (General Division)
Decided	5 January 2023
Judge	Chua Lee Ming
Charges / claim	Admiralty and Shipping
Counsel	Clasis LLC, Haridass Ho & Partners, Incisive Law LLC, JLex LLC, Oon & Bazul LLP, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, Bazul Ashhab bin Abdul Kader, Lim Zhi Ming Max, Ng Guang Yi, Ng Yuhui, Poh Ying Ying Joanna, Prakaash s/o Paniar Silvam, Subashini d/o Narayanasamy, Sylvia Lem Jia Li, Tan Wee Kong

Source: [2023] SGHC 2, High Court (General Division), decided 5 January 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Admiralty and Shipping — Practice and procedure of action in rem — Payment out of proceeds of sale

Practice Areas

Admiralty and Shipping

Judges (1)

Chua Lee Ming Delivered

Counsel (15)

Clasis LLC Firm Haridass Ho & Partners Firm Incisive Law LLC Firm JLex LLC Firm Oon & Bazul LLP Firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Firm Bazul Ashhab bin Abdul Kader Counsel Intervener Lim Zhi Ming Max Counsel Intervener Ng Guang Yi Counsel Intervener Ng Yuhui Counsel Intervener Poh Ying Ying Joanna Counsel Intervener Prakaash s/o Paniar Silvam Counsel Intervener Subashini d/o Narayanasamy Counsel Intervener Sylvia Lem Jia Li Counsel Intervener Tan Wee Kong Counsel Intervener

Parties (35)

Chugoku Marine Paints (Singapore) Pte Ltd Intervener Clyde & Co LLP Intervener Drydocks World – Dubai LLC Intervener Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd Intervener Iships Management Pte Ltd Intervener Island Oil Ltd Intervener Newton Shipping Ltd Intervener Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel “Ambassador” Defendant Shipoil Ltd Intervener V.Group Manpower Services Intervener Wilhelmsen Ships Service LLC Intervener Abdurakhmanov Emir-Salie Ebazerovich Plaintiff Beridze Irakli Tariel Plaintiff Borisov Kyrylo Sergiyovych Plaintiff Devadze Irakli Plaintiff Dolzhenko Evgenii Mikhaylovich Plaintiff Gorodnichiy Nikolay Viktorovich Plaintiff Kelekhsashvili Giorgi Givi Plaintiff Khashev Sergiy Aleksandrovich Plaintiff Kirichenko Nikolay Nikolaevich Plaintiff Kravchenko Nikolay Nikolaevich Plaintiff Lavrinenko Vladimir Invanovich Plaintiff Lukashenia Vladimir Vladimirovich Plaintiff Mamonov Oleg Borisovich Plaintiff Markaryan Edgar Plaintiff Metsler Vadim Viktorovich Plaintiff Perezva Vadim Valentinovich Plaintiff Phatsia Archil Nugzaris-Dze Plaintiff Rodinadze Malkhaz Plaintiff Stefanidi Evgeny Vladimirovich Plaintiff Tatarinov Andrei Plaintiff Timakhov Vladimir Viktorovich Plaintiff Togonidze Givi Plaintiff Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich Plaintiff Voronin Maxim Vasilevich Plaintiff

Case Significance

The "Ambassador" [2023] SGHC 2 was decided in the General Division of the High Court in Admiralty in Rem No 17 of 2017 (Summons No 3316 of 2022) by Chua Lee Ming J, with grounds of decision delivered on 5 January 2023 after a hearing on 9 November 2022. The action, brought by Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich and 23 other plaintiffs against the Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel "Ambassador" (IMO No. 9127148), concerned the practice and procedure of an action in rem and payment out of the proceeds of sale. Numerous interveners featured, including Newton Shipping Ltd, Iships Management Pte Ltd, Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd, Drydocks World – Dubai LLC and Clyde & Co LLP; two interveners appealed against the judge's determination of the priorities of claims against the vessel and the consequential order for payment out of the proceeds of sale of the Vessel and its bunkers.

[2023] SGHC 2 explained

Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich & 23 Ors v Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel AMBASSADOR (IMO No. 9127148) ([2023] SGHC 2) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (General Division) on 5 January 2023. It is categorised under Admiralty and Shipping. It is a recent decision; within this corpus no later judgment has cited it yet. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2023] SGHC 2 about?

Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich & 23 Ors v Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel AMBASSADOR (IMO No. 9127148) ([2023] SGHC 2) is a High Court (General Division) decision from 2023. Its published catchwords are “Admiralty and Shipping — Practice and procedure of action in rem — Payment out of proceeds of sale”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

Summary

In an admiralty action in rem, the master, officers and crew of the vessel "Ambassador" claimed unpaid wages, arrested the vessel, and obtained default judgment leading to its sale for S$10,297,300. Two interveners appealed the court's determination of priorities of claims and the order for payment out of the sale proceeds, and requested further arguments. The court rejected the request for further arguments and affirmed its earlier decision on the distribution of proceeds.

What did The "Ambassador" [2023] SGHC 2 concern?

It concerned the practice and procedure of an admiralty action in rem and payment out of the proceeds of sale of the vessel "Ambassador" (IMO No. 9127148). Chua Lee Ming J determined the priorities of claims against the vessel, and two interveners appealed against that determination.

Who were the parties in the Ambassador admiralty case [2023] SGHC 2?

The plaintiffs were Tsarkov Oleg Igorevich and 23 others, suing the Owner and/or Demise Charterer of the vessel "Ambassador". Interveners included Newton Shipping Ltd, Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd, Drydocks World – Dubai LLC and Clyde & Co LLP, in Admiralty in Rem No 17 of 2017.