Convicted bank staff listen as their sentences are read out at the Vientiane People’s Court.

Bank employees sent to jail over corruption chagres

The Vientiane People’s Court has sentenced 10 bank employees to lengthy prison terms, including life sentences, in corruption and money laundering cases that caused losses of more than 2.29 trillion kip.
As well as prison sentences, each of the accused was fined an amount equivalent to 1 percent of the money misspent or appropriated.
The sentences were handed down on Tuesday, according to the court’s Acting Head of Office,Mrs Lindamone Sidaphone.
The bank officials were convicted of abuse of office, illicit foreign currency transactions, bribery, misappropriation of assets, and the laundering of illegally obtained funds, according to Lao Security News.
In the first case, two former senior officials at the Bank of the Lao PDR were convicted of abusing their positions to withdraw foreign currency from the central bank’s foreign exchange reserves and change unlimited amounts.
The accused were named as Mr Khamphout, 59, formerly Director General of the Monetary Policy Department, and Mr Aod, formerly Director General of the Banking Operations Department.
The court sentenced Mr Khamphout to life imprisonment and a fine of 2,296 million kip.
The court also ordered the confiscation of assets linked to the case, including funds held in bank accounts, land, and vehicles, for transfer to state ownership.
Mr Aod was also sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment and fined 1 percent of the losses incurred. However, he will not serve the sentence because he died during the prosecution process.
The second case involved nine bank employees accused of corruption and, in several instances, money laundering.
Mr Khamkeo, 49, was found guilty of corruption and money laundering. The court found that he had unlawfully bought and sold foreign currency with business operators at unauthorised rates and had been part of a group responsible for procuring currency at special rates.
According to the court, he was paid US$95,459.97 and 1 million Thai baht by a company to carry out unlawful transactions, which he subsequently converted into property and bank deposits. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ms Khamla, 39, was convicted of accepting bribes amounting to 180 million kip from a fuel-importing company. She was initially given a seven year prison sentence but the court reduced the term by four years because of her cooperation in repaying the losses.
Mr Bounluan, 59, was convicted of corruption and money laundering after negotiating illicit gains with applicants seeking favourable currency exchange rates. The court found that he acquired 24,125,783,450 kip, which he subsequently converted into property and investments in joint ventures. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ms Soukthada, 41, was found guilty of corruption involving the abuse of her position to misappropriate assets. She was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison, but the court reduced the sentence by four years because of her restitution efforts.
Three other bank employees — Mr Yangjou, 35,Ms Manilack, 35, and Ms Vongsa, 34 — were each convicted of corruption and money laundering.
Each was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison but their sentences were reduced by three years following their restitution efforts. Mr Bounthom, 36, was also convicted of corruption and money laundering and given a life sentence.
Ms Suthida, 30, was convicted of corruption. She was initially sentenced to 20 years in prison, but the court reduced the term by four years because of her efforts to make restitution.
In addition to the prison sentences and fines, the court ordered the seizure of the defendants’ assets, including bank deposits, land and vehicles, which will become the property of the state.
The rulings represent a major corruption case involving former employees of the banking sector and highlight the authorities’ efforts to pursue the misuse of official positions, illicit financial transactions and the conversion of unlawful proceeds into assets.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update September 11, 2026)