MGR Online – The Attapeu court has sentenced 10 former government officials to life imprisonment on charges of embezzlement. State media reported the verdict in full detail — including names, positions, and unblurred photographs — of defendants ranging from a provincial office chief and a finance department head to a volunteer worker.
On 30 July 2026, Ms Lattana Simavat, Chief of the Attapeu Provincial People's Court Office in the Lao PDR, announced the verdict in the embezzlement case involving former government officials in Attapeu Province. The offences occurred during the period 2021–2024. There were 15 defendants in total, of whom four were female, and the court sentenced 10 of them to life imprisonment.
The Attapeu Provincial People's Court's ruling was covered in detail by Lao media, including the names, positions, and misconduct of each defendant. The media also published clear, unblurred photographs of all 10 defendants sentenced to life imprisonment.
The verdicts for all 15 defendants are summarised as follows:
1. Mr Soulichan Phonkaew, 53, former provincial party committee member and Chief of the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Xaysi, Xaysettha District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 1% of the damage value of 992,816,961 kip, plus USD 60,898 and VND 30,000,000. The court also ordered the confiscation of 1,551,712,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property, and ordered the defendant to return to the state the sum of 4,200,249,000 kip representing the margin obtained from high-interest lending.
2. Mr Sounakhone Kaewviangkham, 59, former provincial party committee member and Chief of the Planning and Investment Department, Attapeu Province, currently residing at Ban Lak 3, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 1% of the damage value of 34,420,000 kip plus USD 4,340, and the court ordered the confiscation of 42,000,000 kip and USD 2,000 belonging to the defendant as state property.
3. Mr Khamphay Somthavone, 60, former provincial party committee member and Chief of the Finance Department, Attapeu Province, currently residing at Ban Phonsavang, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 1,828,008,205 kip plus USD 40,000, and the court ordered the confiscation of 1,500,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
4. Mr Thounxai Mekdavong, 60, former Deputy Chief of the Finance Department, Attapeu Province, currently residing at Ban Xaysaard, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 32,250,000 kip plus USD 40,000, and the court ordered the confiscation of 225,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
5. Mr Somsak Nounthivong, 45, former head of the service division under the Provincial Treasury, currently residing at Ban Veuangkhan, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 2,579,085,241 kip plus USD 46,320, and the court ordered the confiscation of 977,200,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
6. Mr Inpang Silavikon, 38, former technical officer of the service division under the Provincial Treasury, currently residing at Ban Somkhot, Xaysettha District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 2,033,989,750 kip plus USD 46,320, and the court ordered the confiscation of 130,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
7. Mr Soulixa Souliyalai, also known as Mou, 37, former Deputy Head of the Research Division under the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Lak 3, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 3,459,996,813 kip plus USD 70,198 and VND 45,000,000.
8. Mr Oudthaly Singthammavong, 43, former Head of the Administration Division under the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Lak 3, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, fined 1,000,000 kip plus USD 400 and VND 30,000,000, and the court ordered the confiscation of 100,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
9. Mrs Maniphone Phetvilai, 34, former financial technical officer of the Administration Division under the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Sanamxai, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 1,839,298,031 kip plus USD 400 and VND 30,000,000, and the court ordered the confiscation of 30,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
10. Mrs Niphaphone Phothilat, 34, former volunteer worker at the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Phonsavang, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 2,353,579,750 kip plus USD 47,520.
11. Mr Kaewphouton Vilatham, 47, former Deputy Head of the Organisation and Administration Division under the Attapeu Provincial Finance Department, currently residing at Ban Vongsamphane, Phouvong District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to 16 years and 6 months' imprisonment, fined 8,883,770 kip, and the court ordered the confiscation of 888,377,000 kip obtained through bribery as state property.
12. Mr Sooksavan Bounphan, 55, former Deputy Chief of the Attapeu Provincial Treasury, currently residing at Ban Muangmai, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to 5 years' imprisonment, fined 1,000,000 kip, and the court ordered the confiscation of 100,000,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
13. Mr Phonphiloun Xaysombat, 49, former Deputy Head of the Accounting and Inspection Division under the Attapeu Provincial Treasury, currently residing at Ban Muangmai, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to 2 years and 6 months' imprisonment, of which 7 months are to be actually served and the remainder suspended, fined 295,000 kip, and the court ordered the confiscation of 29,500,000 kip belonging to the defendant as state property.
14. Mrs Sinnaly Khamman, 44, former staff member of the Attapeu Provincial Office, currently residing at Ban Sanamxai, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to 18 years and 6 months' imprisonment, fined 10,855,649 kip. The court also ordered that 200,000,000 kip already surrendered by the defendant as exhibits be returned to the Provincial Governor's Office, and that the defendant repay to the Provincial Governor's Office the remaining outstanding sum of 292,782,473 kip.
15. Mrs Phoutthidavan Kaisoneseena, 36, former staff member of the Attapeu Provincial Finance Department, currently residing at Ban Phonsavang, Sanamxai District, Attapeu Province. Charged with embezzlement and multiple other acts of corruption. Sentenced to life imprisonment, fined 110,000,000 kip, and ordered to return 22,000,000 kip to the state.
In addition, all defendants are jointly required to compensate the state for damages amounting to 51,951,708,972 kip, plus USD 2,316,000 and THB 60,000. Should any of the defendants be unable to pay the compensation, their seized or frozen assets are to be publicly auctioned and the proceeds applied toward the outstanding amount.
There is also one additional defendant — Mr Soukhmai Soudtbounlon — who died during the course of the legal proceedings. His criminal charges have been dropped, but in civil terms his estate remains jointly liable to compensate the state, through the sale of his seized or frozen assets.
Non-state online media in Laos reported that some of the defendants sentenced to life imprisonment were involved in the embezzlement of compensation funds meant for residents affected by the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam collapse, which occurred on 23 July 2018.
Earlier, on 1 July 2026, the Vientiane Capital People's Court sentenced a total of 9 former senior government officials and Thai businesspeople to life imprisonment on embezzlement charges. The highest-ranking defendant among them was a department director within the State Inspection Organisation.
