VIENTIANE, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Some 737 police officers have been dismissed from their posts over the past five years in Laos after taking bribes and abusing their power.
More than 1,000 police officers were found to have violated laws and regulations during the period, and 737 among them were dismissed, local Vientiane Times on Tuesday quoted information at the fifth meeting on inspection affairs within the public security sector as saying.
The corruption cases resulted in losses of more than 41 billion Lao kip (over five million U.S. dollars), according to Duangpi Damanivong, Vice President of the Party Inspection Committee and Director General of Inspection Department under Lao Ministry of Public Security.
Meanwhile, another 144 police officers were warned, 341 police officers had not been promoted, 101 police had been demoted, and 20 had been transferred to other posts during the period, Duangpi said.
Nationwide, more than 4.807 trillion Lao kip (over 589.4 million U.S. dollars) has changed hands due to corruption over the past five years and 734 officials were found to be involved, according to the Inspection Committee of the Party Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.
Some 1,806 party cadres have been disciplined for violating the party's statutes and state laws. Of these, as many as 1,007 cadres were expelled from the party.
Lao party and government leaders have vowed to escalate the fight against corruption. Party General Secretary and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachit has recently instructed the top anti-corruption body to appropriately punish officials who violated the regulations in a bid to stamp out malpractice and lax discipline.
