After Rejection by Attorney General's Office, Sony Sonjaya Seeks Justice Collaborator Status from LPSK
Sony Sonjaya, a suspect in the alleged corruption case concerning the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme, has submitted a request for justice collaborator (JC) status and legal protection to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). His legal counsel, Krisna Murti, stated that they opted to apply to the LPSK after a similar request was rejected by the Attorney General’s Office.
Krisna expressed respect for the decision of the Attorney General’s Office’s investigative team but voiced disappointment, asserting that Sony holds key information regarding the involvement of other intellectual actors in the MBG corruption case. “It is deeply regrettable that when Mr. Soni wishes to expose all parties suspected of having a significant role in this MBG corruption and is ready to testify against 26 prominent names believed to be highly influential in the alleged corruption of SPPG point sales in Indonesia, his JC application is rejected,” Krisna said on Wednesday (24/6).
Krisna revealed that the list of names his client is prepared to expose has expanded from the initial data. Beyond possessing a list of officials, Sony is said to have prepared supporting documents to prove the existence of transactional practices in the field determination of Nutritional Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) points. “In reality, besides providing 26 names, which later grew to 41 names, he is also ready to provide quite valid evidence. That is the point, in my view,” Krisna explained.
Given the large number of names likely to be implicated in future court proceedings, Krisna considers security guarantees for Sony and his family a priority. He stated that the emergency protection and JC status application dossier is currently being reviewed internally by the LPSK. A team from the protection agency is also scheduled to conduct a direct verification visit to the Attorney General’s Office detention centre where Sony is being held. “This is due to the absence of security and safety guarantees for Soni Sanjaya and his family when he testifies to reveal the names suspected of involvement in this MBG corruption scandal,” he said.
Krisna expressed hope that the LPSK will act independently and assess the application objectively based on the mandate of Article 5 paragraph (2) of Law Number 31 of 2014 concerning Witness and Victim Protection. “We certainly hope the LPSK will make a decision as objectively as possible without intervention, considering that all the names Sony will reveal are important people,” Krisna concluded.
Previously, the Attorney General’s Office rejected the justice collaborator application submitted by former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, in connection with the alleged corruption case involving the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, explained that the legal requirements for JC status are strictly bound by formal regulations, namely Law Number 31 of 2014 and Supreme Court Circular Letter Number 4 of 2011. The two main conditions are that the applicant is not the principal perpetrator and must admit to all of their actions.
“What is meant by a justice collaborator is a cooperating perpetrator witness, one who reveals something larger. There are several requirements, but the most important for us are: first, the person concerned is not the principal perpetrator. Second, the person concerned admits their actions,” Syarief stated at the Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday (23/6). Based on case review and evidence examination, the investigative team concluded that Sony Sonjaya played a central role in the construction of the case. His position was deemed to be at the forefront of determining technical policy, not in a secondary layer. “We concluded that Mr. SS is the party most responsible for determining or verifying SPPG points, thus making him the principal perpetrator, not a second-liner who would expose perpetrators above him,” Syarief clarified.