Souksavart Sosouphanh has been appointed Managing Director and CEO of Électricité du Laos (EDL), less than two months after four former EDL executives were sentenced to life imprisonment in a corruption case involving a hydropower project.
The appointment was announced on 27 August at EDL’s headquarters in Vientiane during a ceremony chaired by Industry and Commerce Minister Malaithong Kommasith.
Souksavart previously served as Deputy Managing Director of EDL and has been Managing Director and CEO of EDL-Generation Public Company (EDL-Gen) since March 2025, according to EDL-Gen records.
EDL-Gen’s 2026 first-quarter report lists Souksavart as a member of its board and Managing Director, with his appointment approved on 31 March 2025.
He will now lead EDL, the state-owned utility responsible for Laos’ electricity transmission and distribution.
EDL Corruption Case
The leadership change comes less than two months after the Vientiane Capital People’s Court handed down life sentences in a major corruption case involving EDL.
On 1 July, the court sentenced four former senior EDL executives and Thai businessman Aphichart Vannakul to life imprisonment over corruption linked to an EDL hydropower project. The defendants were convicted of offences including embezzlement, abuse of office and bribery.
The court also ordered Aphichart to pay more than USD 24.8 million in compensation to EDL and authorized the confiscation of assets linked to the case.
