JAKARTA, Thekabarnews.com—Indonesia’s attorney general’s office has named former National Nutrition Agency (BGN) head Dadan Hindayana and former deputy heads Sonny Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung as suspects in an alleged graft case. This case involves the distribution of nutrition service units under the government’s flagship Free Meals Program (MBG).

The case poses one of the most serious legal challenges the BGN has faced since its establishment. Moreover, it has attracted significant public attention due to the strategic importance of the MBG program. The MBG program is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s key policy initiatives.

Local media reports showed the police leading the three suspects out of the Attorney General’s Office headquarters in pink detainee vests. Authorities commonly use these vests for corruption suspects. Authorities later moved them to detention facilities pending the investigation.

Earlier Wednesday, special crimes investigators raided the headquarters of the BGN in Jakarta. The operation reportedly commenced in the early morning hours, involving several investigators and security personnel.

The investigations are still ongoing, confirmed Mochammad Jeffry, acting head of the Attorney General’s Office Legal Information Center. The investigations were carried out at the BGN offices.

“The Special Crimes Directorate is carrying out a search at the office of the National Nutrition Agency,” Jeffry told reporters on Wednesday, June 3.

Investigators suspect that senior BGN officials participated in irregularities involving the allocation and management of Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units (SPPG). These units play an important role in providing meals and nutrition services in the MBG program.

Authorities have not yet made public the full scope of the allegations and estimated financial losses connected to the case.

Investigators questioned all three former officials before they named them as suspects. Sabrul Iman, the chief investigator for corruption and money laundering cases at the Deputy Attorney General’s Office for Special Crimes, made the statement.

Reports said that officials spoke with people and gathered evidence throughout the day before announcing the legal action.

The corruption probe follows a recent reshuffle of the leadership at the BGN by the Prabowo administration. This reshuffle replaced Dadan Hindayana and his deputies with a new management team a day earlier. The goal was to enhance governance and improve program implementation.

Meanwhile, head of the presidential staff office Dudung Abdurachman said reports of alleged “sales” of SPPG locations could have factored into the government’s assessment of BGN leadership. This was before the change was announced.

Dudung stated that he provided the president with information on agency performance and governance concerns from various sources.

He stressed that the MBG program must be free from corruption, abuse of authority, and conflicts of interest. The government funds the program with public resources and uses it to serve millions of people across the country. This is the expectation of President Prabowo Subianto.

“The president wants the program to be transparent and accountable to the public,” Dudung said.

The MBG Program is among the government’s most ambitious social initiatives. The government designed the program to improve nutrition, health outcomes, and educational performance among Indonesian children and vulnerable groups.

Given the scope of the program and the sheer volume of public funds involved, strong oversight and governance mechanisms are critical. These mechanisms are needed to maintain public trust and ensure effective implementation.

Authorities said they are continuing the investigation. In addition, they will require more evidence to determine whether any further legal action is necessary.

As the case unfolds, the public will likely be watching the integrity of the MBG program. They will also be watching the government’s larger efforts to increase transparency and accountability in public institutions.

Stay connected via Google News