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Laos advances methanol poisoning case with charge against distillery owner
Authorities filed charges against the distillery owner, who could face 3 months to 4 years in jail if convicted.
Almost two years after six travellers died and one survivor was left blind following suspected methanol-tainted drinks in Laos, a criminal case tied to the incident is moving forward, with charges filed against a distillery owner, according to SCMP Economy.
Last Friday, the owner of the distillery where the drinks were thought to have originated was given one charge of running an illegal business and one charge of selling harmful food products. If convicted, the owner could face a jail term of between three months and four years, the outlet reported.
Victims families have said that potential punishment is inadequate, and they previously called for manslaughter charges against the owner and bar manager of the Nana Backpackers Hostel in Vang Vieng. Two Danish nationals, 20-year-old Anne-Sofie Orkild Coyman and 21-year-old Freja Vennervald Sørensen, died after drinking suspected methanol-tainted alcohol at the hostel in November 2024, SCMP Economy added, along with other deaths including two 19-year-old Australians, British lawyer Simone White, 28, and American national James Louis Hutson, 57.
Foreign media were barred from attending a press conference on July 17, when Laotian authorities announced the charges. On the same day, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed dissatisfaction with the case, the outlet said.