SINGAPORE - Nine of the men who have been charged in connection with the multi-million dollar fuel theft from Shell's manufacturing site were offered bail on Monday (Jan 29) as the investigation continues.

Vietnamese national Nguyen Duc Quang, 46, who faces five charges of dishonestly receiving stolen oil, was offered bail of $700,000.

The quantum of oil misappropriated add up to about $4 million and is likely to be higher than the charges already tendered, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Chew on Monday.

In the case of the other eight, she had sought bail of $600,000 or $1 million for each of them but District Judge Christopher Goh reduced the amounts.

Five of them - Juandi Pungot, 41, Cai Zhi Zhong, 35, Tiah Kok Hwee, 41, Koh Choon Wei, 35, and Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram, 37 - were granted bail of $500,000 each.

They are facing seven counts each of abetment by conspiracy to misappropriate gas oil on seven occasions between last July and January this year.

As for Mohd Ibrahim K. Abdul Majid, who is unrepresented, Abdul Latif Ibrahim, 59, and Richard Goh Chee Keong, 48, Judge Goh set their bail at $300,000 each.

The three men each faces five charges of abetment by conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust of gas oil between Nov 11 last year and Jan 5 this year.

Their next appearance will be on Feb 20 when the cases of Vietnamese nationals Doan Xuan Than, 46, Dang Van Hanh, 37, and Singaporeans Alan Tan Cheng Chuan, 45, and Muhammad Ali Muhammad Nor, 51, will be mentioned.

These four have been offered bail of between $20,000 and $30,000 each.

Meanwhile, Tan's former colleague - Ng Hock Teck, 54- will return to court on Tuesday.

The former marketing and operations manager of Sentek Marine and Trading has been charged with engaging in a conspiracy with Tan to dishonestly receive stolen marine gas oil on three occasions in July and November last year.