Authorities in Houaphanh, northern Laos, have uncovered 120 officials who had allegedly violated party regulations and state laws, with related financial damage totaling nearly LAK 13 billion (USD 579,700), state media reported.
Officials revealed the findings on 10 September during a five-year review (2021-2025) of the province’s inspection work. The committee issued reprimands, criticisms, and demotions to part of the group, it suspended 28 party memberships, and expelled 45 members. Official statements did not provide details of the violations.
Authorities also disciplined 37 officials for corrupt practices, with penalties ranging from formal warnings to outright dismissal and referral for criminal prosecution in the most serious cases.
In total, further inspections uncovered financial losses exceeding LAK 12.8 billion (USD 570,800), about LAK 5.9 billion (USD 263,100) from state administrative inspections and LAK 6.9 billion (USD 307,200) from anti-corruption investigations.
Authorities have recovered a little over a third of that combined total so far, with the rest still outstanding.
For the next five-year plan, the authorities plan to inspect 12 public investment projects, audit large state contracts, and track fund recovery from offenders through 2030.
A Broader National Pattern
Houaphanh’s findings extend a national anti-corruption push that has gathered pace throughout 2026.
Most recently, on 8 September, the Vientiane Capital People’s Court handed life sentences to several former bank employees for bribery, illegal foreign exchange dealing, and money laundering tied to an estimated LAK 2.29 trillion (USD 101.7 million) in damages.
In late July, the Attapeu Provincial People’s Court sentenced 15 officials, ten to life, over a 2021-2024 scheme that moved more than LAK 103.5 billion (USD 4.64 million) and confirmed state losses of roughly LAK 51.9 billion (USD USD 2.3 million).
Earlier that month, the Vientiane Capital People’s Court sentenced 17 defendants from the State Inspection Authority, the central bank, the Agricultural Promotion Bank, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Electricity of Laos, with at least 10 receiving life sentences and courts ordering more than USD 24.8 million in compensation in one hydropower case.
Laos ranked at the 114th place in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, though its score of 34 still trails the global benchmark of 50.
