Mercuria's swoop to save the troubled Aegean Marine was really the start of a takeover attempt, the former fueling giant's biggest creditors allege.

In court paper, Aegean's bondholders, who are owed a total of $267m in two separate convertible notes, say the July deal between the Swiss commodities trader and the bunker and tanker company was the start of an "aggressive loan-to-own strategy" that took a step forward when Aegean