AGO Opens Possibility of Applying Money Laundering Charges in MBG Corruption Case
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has stated it will apply articles on money laundering (TPPU) in the corruption case concerning the management of the free nutritious meal programme (MBG).
The Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Febrie Adriansyah, said the money laundering charges would be brought against the suspects in order to pursue assets obtained through corruption. “Later, it will certainly be applied, definitely TPPU if there is evidence we will pursue it,” he told reporters at the Asset Recovery Agency (BPA) office in South Jakarta on Monday (15/6).
Febrie explained that the prosecution of this corruption case is not solely a criminal process and the recovery of state financial losses. It is also intended to restore the MBG programme to its original purpose as envisioned by President Prabowo Subianto. “We want the BGN to run according to the original plan. The original plan was for children, our children, so they are well-nourished, they are well, when they go to school their stomachs are filled, so they can receive good learning,” he explained. “That is why we are processing this, we are opening this up, and we are pushing to ensure the good objectives of MBG can succeed. You also guard the new ones so they can run according to expectations, these are children, the nation’s children,” Febrie added.
Separately, the Head of the AGO’s Legal Information Centre, Anang Supriatna, stated that the application of money laundering charges is expected to recover state financial losses caused by the suspects. “Not only to criminalise the individuals, but also how we recover state losses, with one of the instruments being the TPPU against related parties and those who received funds,” he said.
Previously, the AGO had named a total of five suspects in the corruption case concerning the management of the free nutritious meal programme (MBG) by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for the 2025-2026 period. The five suspects are former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana; former BGN Deputy Heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung; Sony’s associate Asep Yusuf Somantri (AYS); and the Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), Andri Mulyono.
In this case, the AGO explained that the MBG programme should have been managed by Nutrition Service and Fulfilment Unit (SPPG) foundations affiliated with recipient schools. However, in practice, many SPPGs were appointed because they had affiliations with BGN officials. Furthermore, many foundations did not actually meet the requirements to become SPPG partners. There were also mark-ups in the procurement prices of goods, resulting in losses that did not support the operational implementation of MBG. These included 21,801 electric motorcycles worth IDR 1.03 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablet units, and 5,400 75-inch television units.