Active Soldier's Corruption in Free Nutritious Meal Programme to Be Tried via Connection Court

The Indonesian National Armed Forces Headquarters has stated that the Military Police Centre will not take over the legal process against Colonel of the Equipment Corps (Cpl) BU, an active soldier suspected of involvement in a corruption case concerning the management of the free nutritious meal programme (MBG).

Head of the TNI Information Centre, Major General Muhammad Nas, said the case would be processed through a connection court mechanism because it involves both military and civilian elements. “I need to convey that the TNI Military Police Centre will not take over law enforcement against Colonel Cpl BU. This case involves military and civilian elements, so the trial process will use the connection court mechanism,” Nas said when contacted on Saturday, 4 July 2026.

Nas explained that in this case, the panel of judges would consist of a combination of military judges and general court judges. Meanwhile, the prosecution will be carried out jointly by a military prosecutor and a public prosecutor. “The investigation process is carried out by the Police and the TNI Military Police Centre, in accordance with statutory provisions,” he said.

Previously, the Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaiman Nahdi, revealed the alleged involvement of Colonel Cpl BU in the procurement of goods and services at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). “Especially the procurement of motorcycles,” Syarief said at the Attorney General’s Office in South Jakarta on Thursday, 2 July 2026.

Syarief explained that Colonel Cpl BU served as Secretary of the Deputy for Provision and Distribution at BGN. He also acted as the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) for the procurement of goods and services. According to Syarief, BU is known to have been involved in arranging price inflation and directing the selection of goods providers. “This is a development from the electric motorcycle procurement,” said Syarief.

However, prosecutors have not yet named BU as a suspect. Syarief stated that his office does not have the authority to legally process BU because he is still an active soldier. In total, prosecutors have named seven suspects in the alleged corruption case concerning MBG management. They include former Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, and his two deputies, Sony Sanjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. Other suspects are Asep Yusuf Somantri, a close associate of Sony, and former Secretary of the Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan. From the private sector cluster, prosecutors have named the Chairman of the Indonesia Food Security Review (IFSR) Foundation, Glory Harimas Sihombing, and the Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (PT YAT), as the provider of BGN’s electric motorcycles, Andri Mulyono, as suspects.