Colonel Budi Allegedly Involved in MBG Corruption Case, TNI Responds

The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) Headquarters has spoken out regarding the involvement of Army member Colonel Budi Utomo in a corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Head of the TNI Information Centre, Brigadier General Muhammad Nas, stated that his party fully respects the legal process currently underway at the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung). “The TNI prioritises the principle of presumption of innocence and submits the evidentiary process to law enforcement officials,” he said in a written statement on Friday (3/7). Nas admitted that his party would immediately coordinate with Kejagung investigators regarding the findings to be followed up in accordance with applicable legal provisions.

Previously, the Kejagung revealed the role of the Secretary of the Deputy for Provision and Distribution at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Colonel Cpl Budi Utomo, in the MBG programme management corruption case. The Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, stated that Budi served as the Commitment Making Officer (PPK) in the procurement of goods and services, particularly the procurement of electric motorcycles. He explained that the electric motorcycle project procurement was carried out together with Lodewyk Pusung, who was then serving as Deputy Head of BGN, and the Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (PT YAT), Andri Mulyono. “Carrying out the procurement of electric motorcycles with a budget of Rp1,035,515,297,908.02 (Rp1 trillion),” he told reporters at the Kejagung on Thursday (2/7).

Syarief explained that the procurement of the electric motorcycles was carried out unlawfully because it did not meet the requirements in the contract and involved price mark-ups. In the implementation of the electric motorcycle procurement, there was manipulation of the official report on the handover of goods. “The realisation was only 3,229 units out of 21,081 vehicles, but 100 percent payment has been made, resulting in state losses,” he said. Nevertheless, Syarief stated that despite finding evidence of this involvement, his party has not yet named Budi as a suspect. He reasoned that because his status is still an active TNI member, the case handling will be conducted through a connectivity process with the Junior Attorney General for Military Crimes. “Because we in Special Crimes cannot process or name an active TNI member as a suspect. That is done through connectivity, so we hand it over to Jampidmil to be processed further by Jampidmil,” he said.