Alleged Involvement of Colonel BU in MBG Corruption Scandal Revealed
The investigation into the corruption case of the Free Nutritious Meal programme (MBG) has revealed the alleged involvement of an active-duty member of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) serving at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). The Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, stated that the officer in question is Colonel BU, who held the position of Secretary of the Deputy for Provision and Distribution at BGN.
Syarief explained that Colonel BU also served as the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) at BGN within the procurement of goods and services cluster. “We discovered the involvement of an active TNI officer here, with the initials BU, who served as the Secretary of the Deputy for Provision and Distribution at BGN and also as the PPK in the procurement of goods and services, especially the procurement of electric motorcycles,” Syarief said at the Jampidsus Round Building, Attorney General’s Office, Jakarta, on Thursday.
The involvement of Colonel BU came to light through further investigations conducted by Jampidsus. However, Syarief explained that because Colonel BU is an active TNI member, the Jampidsus investigation has handed over further handling to the Junior Attorney General for Military Crimes (Jampidmil). “Therefore, the handling of this TNI officer, Mr BU, is being carried out jointly with investigators at Jampidmil,” Syarief stated.
Connectivity is a mechanism for investigating a criminal case where the perpetrators are known to involve a combination of civilians and military personnel. The Jampidsus investigation found the direct involvement of Colonel BU in the corruption scandal at MBG within BGN. Following the investigation by Jampidsus, the case was subsequently handed over to the Jampidmil investigation team for him to be promptly named a suspect. “So this case involving Colonel BU includes the procurement of motorcycles at BGN. Because there is the involvement of an active TNI officer, the handling is being carried out by Jampidmil for Mr BU,” Syarief said.
The Director of Prosecution at Jampidmil, Brigadier General Andi Suci Agustiansyah, explained that Colonel BU is an active TNI officer from the Equipment Corps (CPL). “This Colonel CPL BU is an active TNI member. Therefore, it has been delegated to us, and we will handle it through connectivity,” Andi said. He noted that Colonel BU has been examined and his current status remains as a witness. Although the Jampidsus investigation team has found direct involvement and a role for Colonel BU, the naming of Colonel BU as a suspect falls under the purview of the Jampidmil investigation.
The investigation into the MBG programme corruption handled by Jampidsus has so far named seven individuals as suspects. The main suspect in the case is Dadan Hindayana, the Head of BGN. Investigators have also named former BGN Deputy Head Lodewijk Paulus, a retired TNI officer with the final rank of Lieutenant General, as a suspect. BGN Deputy Head Sony Sonjaya, a retired National Police officer with the final rank of Inspector General, has also been named a suspect.