Attorney General's Office Reveals Collusion in BGN Programme Corruption Case

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has revealed that three suspects in the alleged corruption case involving the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) for 2025-2026 worked together to facilitate their illicit activities.

The three suspects are the former Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, and two former Deputy Heads of BGN, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. The three individuals were named suspects on Wednesday (3/6) night, just one day after they were dismissed from their core positions at BGN by President Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday (2/6) night.

“The three of them worked together [in carrying out alleged mark-ups and corruption]. They were all aware of it,” said the Acting Head of the Legal Information Centre of the Attorney General’s Office, Mohammad Jeffry, to reporters on Thursday (4/6). However, Jeffry has not yet provided detailed information regarding the specific nature of the cooperation between the three suspects.

Jeffry also mentioned that the scope of the alleged corruption by Dadan and his associates extended beyond the procurement of goods to include the determination of SPPG (Nutrition Service Implementation Unit) locations. “As previously stated, it involves not only the procurement of goods but also the designation of SPPG points, such as kitchen locations,” he said.

Previously, the Attorney General’s Office named the former Head of the National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, as a corruption suspect, alongside former Deputy Heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. Following their designation as suspects, all three were immediately detained at the Salemba Detention Centre for 20 days to assist with the investigation.

Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation for the Attorney General’s Junior Minister for Special Crimes, explained that the MBG programme is managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools. However, in practice, many SPPGs were appointed because they had affiliations with BGN officials. Syarief stated that these foundations did not actually meet the requirements to be SPPG partners. “These foundations receive billions of rupiah in incentives every day, and these foundations are affiliated with, among others, DH, SS, and LP,” said Syarief.

President Prabowo had previously dismissed Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk from their positions at BGN. The dismissal was announced by State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi on Tuesday (2/6) night, citing disciplinary violations in the management of the Free Nutritious Meal programme. To replace Dadan, Prabowo appointed BGN Deputy Head Nanik S. Deyang as the new Head of BGN. For the roles of Sony and Lodewyk, he appointed Agustina Arum Sari and Major General TNI Trenggono as Deputy Heads.

One day after the dismissal, the Attorney General’s Office raided the BGN office and several other locations on Wednesday morning. Dadan and his associates were subsequently brought to the Attorney General’s Office for questioning as witnesses. By Wednesday evening, they were officially named suspects, fitted with pink detainee vests, handcuffed, and transferred to the Salemba Detention Centre for investigation.

President Prabowo addressed the situation regarding the three high-ranking BGN officials who were named suspects only a day after their dismissal. Initially, Prabowo expressed sadness over being forced to dismiss Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk from their leadership positions at BGN. He alluded to the ongoing legal process but declined to comment further.

“I am actually, at this moment, very sad. I cannot hide that I am in a state of sadness. Because I was forced to replace people whom I truly care for, people I trusted, and people to whom I had assigned very heavy duties for the nation,” Prabowo stated during a briefing at the Free Nutritious Meal Programme Consolidation Meeting at the Sentul International Convention Centre (SICC), Bogor, West Java, on Wednesday (3/6). “I do not want to comment much, as they are facing a legal investigation. Therefore, I must refrain from commenting too much, so as not to appear as though I am influencing the process,” he added.