AGO Reveals Role of Sony Sonjaya's Close Associate in Free Nutritious Meal Corruption Case

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has named Asep Yusuf Somantri (AYS) as a new suspect in the alleged corruption case concerning the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Asep is suspected of being a close associate of former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Sony Sonjaya and was requested by Sony to arrange partners for the implementation of the MBG programme. “AYS is a private party requested by Suspect SS (Sony Sonjaya) in his capacity as Deputy Head of BGN to seek partners for the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal programme,” said the Director of Investigations at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, at the AGO in Jakarta on Thursday. Sony is alleged to have given Asep access to intervene with the MBG partner verification team. The AGO suspects this allowed Sony to know which kitchen locations, or SPPGs, were vacant. “That Mr SS unlawfully provided access to AYS to intervene with the MBG partner verification team,” he stated. Following this, Sony and Asep allegedly arranged for prospective SPPGs that had already been approved in the system to be cancelled. Asep also allegedly provided money to Sony. “Thus, they could identify which kitchen points were vacant and manipulate prospective SPPGs registering on the MBG Partner Portal, whose registration status had initially been approved to then be cancelled,” he said. The AGO had previously named three individuals as suspects in the MBG governance corruption case. They are former Head of BGN Dadan Hindayana, former Deputy Head of BGN Sony Sonjaya, and former Deputy Head of BGN Lodewyk Pusung. The AGO suspects irregularities in the governance of the MBG programme, including alleged affiliations between the suspects and the foundations managing SPPGs, as well as suspected mark-ups in the procurement of electric motorcycles, shoes, tablets, and televisions. Sony subsequently filed a request to become a justice collaborator. Sony mentioned 26 names in the investigation dossier.