Attorney General's Office Rejects Justice Collaborator Request from Sony in BGN Case

The Attorney General’s Office has rejected the ‘Justice Collaborator’ application submitted by former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Sony Sonjaya, a suspect in the corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. ‘We cannot grant the Justice Collaborator request, or we reject the Justice Collaborator request from suspect SS,’ said the Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, during a press conference on Tuesday (23/6). Syarief explained there were two main considerations behind the investigators’ decision to reject the application. Firstly, the office assessed that Sony was one of the principal perpetrators in the case. ‘We concluded that, firstly, SS is the party most responsible for determining or verifying the SPPG points,’ he stated. Therefore, Syarief said Sony is not a second-tier perpetrator who could expose other, larger parties in the MBG corruption case, as evidence shows Sony was a vital actor involved in trading the SPPG points. Secondly, Syarief noted that during the latest examination, Sony still denied his actions in the MBG corruption case, whereas one of the main conditions for being granted Justice Collaborator status is that the perpetrator must admit to their deeds. ‘In yesterday’s examination, there was nothing considered by investigators to indicate that the person concerned admitted to the acts as alleged,’ he said. Nevertheless, he stated that the office appreciated Sony’s efforts in providing related information that could help fully illuminate the corruption case. ‘We greatly appreciate all information and it is used to shed light on this case. However, regarding Justice Collaborator status, we are bound by the existing regulations,’ said Syarief. Previously, Sony, through his legal counsel, had applied to the Attorney General’s Office to become a Justice Collaborator. To facilitate his request, Sony reportedly named 41 figures connected to the corruption case within the BGN related to the MBG programme and its procurement.