Attorney General's Office Names Police General as Suspect in Free Nutritious Meals Corruption, Police Respond

The Indonesian National Police have responded to the Attorney General’s Office’s move to name Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan, Secretary of the Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), as a suspect in an alleged corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme for the 2025-2026 period. “Polri supports and carries out the eradication of criminal acts of corruption. Polri supports and respects the law enforcement process in the MBG corruption case carried out by the Attorney General’s Office,” said Police Public Relations Division Head Inspector General Johnny Eddizon Isir to reporters on Thursday (2/7/2026). He stated that the police force consistently acts firmly in accordance with applicable service regulations and is committed to ensuring there is no impunity for any Polri personnel who commit criminal acts, including corruption. The previous day, the Attorney General’s Office named Lalu Muhammad as a suspect. The Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, announced the development at his office. “Some time ago, we named one more suspect, namely LMI, who served as Head of the Legal and Public Relations Bureau of BGN in March 2025 and currently serves as Secretary of the Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation of the National Nutrition Agency,” Syarief explained. He detailed that LMI asked witnesses YCS and RD to establish a company intended as a vehicle for selling food trays to prospective SPPG partners at a price determined by LMI. A portion of the price was allegedly earmarked for LMI to secure approval for the sales. Syarief added that LMI has been detained at the Salemba Detention Centre branch of the South Jakarta District Prosecutor’s Office for the next 20 days. The suspect is charged under Article 12 letters A, B, and E of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Law Number 1 of 2023. The seven suspects in the case include former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana, former BGN Deputy Head Sony Sonjaya, former BGN Deputy Head Lodewyk Pusung, private party Asep Yusuf Somantri, PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal Commissioner Andri Mulyono, Chair of the Indonesia Food Security Review Foundation Glory Harimas Sihombing, and BGN Secretary of the Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Irwan Mahardan.