Section 20

Where the Authority or the Director has reasonable cause to believe that any oil has been discharged or has escaped from any ship and the owner of the ship has incurred a liability under section 3 and the damage only affects the area of Singapore, the Authority or the Director may detain the ship and the ship may be so detained until the owner of the ship deposits with the Authority an amount which meets the owner’s liability or furnishes such security which will in the opinion of the Authority be adequate to meet the owner’s liability.

If any ship is detained under this Act and the ship proceeds to sea before it is released by the Authority or the Director, the master of the ship, and also the owner thereof and any person who sends the ship to sea, if that owner or person is party or privy to the act of sending the ship to sea, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.