Before Detention, Sony Sonjaya Had Revealed His Son Manages MBG Kitchens
The former Deputy Head of Operations for Nutrition Fulfilment at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, has officially been named a suspect in an alleged corruption case concerning the management of the 2025-2026 Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Following his designation as a suspect, the public has revisited statements made by Sony during a television appearance one month ago.
During that interview, a presenter sought clarification regarding rumours that Sony owned seven MBG kitchen sites. “I heard a rumour while meeting you, sir. They say you have seven kitchens,” the presenter asked, as quoted from the programme’s YouTube channel on Friday, 5 June 2026.
Sony firmly denied the rumours. However, he openly admitted that his son, along with a partner, manages two kitchen sites for the MBG project. “I do not have them. My son does,” Sony replied.
When pressed by the presenter on whether his son owned seven sites, Sony clarified, “No, only two. The seven might refer to his associates who wish to use the Foundation’s platform; they are welcome to do so.”
Sony also revealed that in early January 202le, the BGN was actively seeking partners ready to construct these kitchen facilities. “We were looking for anyone willing to build them,” he stated.
Furthermore, Sony asserted that the appointment of partners was not a unilateral decision but the result of collaborative work with other officials within the MBG programme, including Dadan Hindayana and Lodewyk Pusung, both of whom have also been named suspects in the MBG corruption case.
“There were 190 kitchens completed; who was responsible for that? All of us. I did not work alone. This was a collective effort involving partners sought by Mr Dadan, Mr Pusung, Jimmy Ginting, Mr Sarwono, and everyone at the BGN tasked with finding partners to realise the MBG programme,” Sony explained.
Sony further noted that as more parties sought to build kitchen facilities for the MBG programme in early 2025, new regulations were implemented. These rules stipulate that each foundation is permitted to manage a maximum of 10 Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG) within a single province.