Agrinas Director General's Absence Sparks Protests from Commission VI DPR Members
The Director General of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, was absent from a working session and public hearing held by Commission VI of the House of Representatives regarding the implementation of the Red and White Village Cooperative (KDKMP) programme. Members of the House of Representatives collectively demanded the postponement of the meeting and questioned the absence of the relevant parties.
The meeting took place in Commission VI’s chamber at the House of Representatives building in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, 11 March 2026. The session was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Cooperatives, including Cooperative Minister Ferry Juliantono.
Vice Chairman of Commission VI, Nurdin Halid, immediately interrupted the proceedings at the start of the meeting to address the Agrinas chief’s absence. He noted that the meeting was crucial for seeking clarification regarding the import of 105,000 pickup trucks from India.
“This meeting is important, very important—why is the Agrinas Director General not present?” Nurdin Halid stated during the hearing.
“Honourable members of Commission VI, the Director General of PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara is currently unwell. Last night whilst we were in a meeting, he was already dressed and perspiring profusely from fever, and after returning home he developed a high temperature,” explained Elphis Rudy, Director of Procurement at PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara.
PDIP faction spokesman for Commission VI, Mufti Anam, requested clarification on when Director General Joao Angelo would be available. He sought to understand whose interests lay behind the import of 105,000 pickup trucks from India.
“We demand seriousness from Agrinas—when can the Director General be present here, sir? When can you message us today? Will it be this evening, or will we wait for you tomorrow?” Mufti Anam asked.
“This is serious for us because 105,000 vehicles is a very large quantity. We want to know whose interests are behind this. When we asked earlier, the Cooperative Minister said he did not know. Even the end users, the village heads, were not consulted,” he added.
He called for the Commission VI meeting with related partners to be postponed. Mufti contended that the Agrinas Director General had shown contempt for the Indonesian people.
“Because Agrinas not only violated our constitution and disrespected the people, but also disrespected the Cooperative Minister. We request that this meeting be postponed,” he stated.
Another Commission VI member, Sturman Panjaitan, requested that the Agrinas Director General’s condition be verified directly. He raised this concern due to conflicting reports.
“The information we received earlier from the PDIP faction spokesperson is contradictory—first they said he would arrive at 10 o’clock, then they said he was ill, then they said he was at home. Which home?” Sturman remarked.
Sturman expressed hope that Commission VI could directly verify the condition of Joao Angelo. The PDIP legislator wished to establish the facts.
“If permissible, I propose we visit him ourselves,” Sturman suggested, drawing laughter from fellow members.
“Let us send a team to verify that his health is genuinely satisfactory, lest we summon him whilst he is ill and cause him further harm,” he added.