AGO Opens Possibility of Examining BGN Head Nanik S Deyang in Free Nutritious Meal Corruption Case
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has opened the possibility of examining National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Head Nanik S Deyang in connection with the alleged corruption case involving the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The AGO stated that anyone deemed to have information related to the case could be examined as a witness.
This was conveyed by the Director of Investigation at the AGO’s Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, when asked about the AGO’s response to claims by the lawyer of former BGN Deputy Head Sony Sonjaya, who alleged the involvement of the initials NSD in changing the names of foundations managing the Nutritional Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG). Syarief stated that investigators do not rely solely on one person’s testimony.
‘We do not depend on just one piece of testimony. We have many pieces of evidence, including witness statements, electronic evidence, documentary evidence, and expert opinions. So we are not dependent on the testimony of just one person,’ Syarief said at the AGO office in South Jakarta on Tuesday.
He stated that the case development is based on evidence and that the investigation is ongoing. ‘We name a suspect or expand this case based on the evidence we continue to seek, which is still ongoing, so it does not depend on one person’s testimony,’ he said.
Syarief mentioned that Nanik S Deyang also has the potential to be examined. He said that parties suspected of having information could be examined as witnesses. ‘Regarding NSD, I have said several times, everyone who knows or experienced something has the potential to be examined as a witness. But being a witness does not necessarily mean they committed a violation,’ he stated.
However, Syarief did not specify when Nanik would be examined, saying that examinations are conducted based on investigators’ needs. ‘We cannot say now, but we will consider examining anyone who knows or can explain the existence of a criminal act as a witness,’ he said.
Previously, Sony’s lawyer, Krisna Murti, mentioned the alleged role of NSD in altering the foundations managing the SPPG. He claimed the foundations were changed in several regions, such as Madiun and Bogor. ‘NSD was changing foundations. This foundation’s name was changed to this, then changed again to this. So it was changed three times. According to Mr Sony’s explanation in the investigation report, those points belonged to NSD,’ he said.
To date, the AGO has named six suspects: former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana; former BGN Deputy Head Sony Sonjaya; former BGN Deputy Head Lodewyk Pusung; Asep Yusuf Somantri, a close associate of Sony; PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal Commissioner Andri Mulyono, the provider of BGN’s electric motorcycles; and Glory Harimas Sihombing, Chair of the Indonesia Food Security Review Foundation.
Nanik Claims No Involvement in the Case
BGN Head Nanik S Deyang has spoken out about the alleged corruption case at BGN. She claimed her role was primarily related to media affairs and that she knew nothing about procurement. ‘My job was just dealing with the media. I never attended decision-making meetings about socks or whatever, I don’t understand any of that procurement stuff, not a clue,’ Nanik said in a podcast titled ‘Nanik Deyang’s Tears Over Dadan’s Betrayal of Prabowo, What Happened Behind the BGN Corruption?’ on the Total Politics YouTube channel.
She also denied being the complainant in the case, commenting on a post titled ‘A Gift from Mrs Nanik’ uploaded by Sony Sonjaya. ‘So I didn’t report it. When Mr Sony said ’A Gift from Mrs Nanik’, it seemed like I was the complainant. I can’t just report something to the Prosecutor’s Office and have it processed,’ she said.
She also addressed her name being mentioned in connection with the case, suggesting it might be due to chats with Sony. ‘I don’t know about clicking on things. That was Mr Sony’s operational area. I don’t understand clicking on kitchen points. Maybe my name was mentioned because I once messaged him saying, ’please take care of the TNI’s kitchen’ because the TNI had very few points. I was asked by the TNI, perhaps because my position at BGN was very high. I don’t understand, I was just asking Mr Sony for help. There was also a pesantren where the students suffered food poisoning and no longer trusted the system, they wanted to build their own kitchen. I said, ‘Mr Sony, please help this pesantren’. If you look at my chats, maybe it looks like I was part of the corruption, but I did not receive any money,’ Nanik said.