Former BGN Deputy Chief Asks Pretrial Judge to Nullify Suspect Status
Former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Lodewyk Pusung, has requested that the sole judge at the South Jakarta District Court declare the legal process conducted by the Attorney General’s Office unlawful and without binding legal force. This was conveyed by Lodewyk’s legal counsel, Otto Cornelis Kaligis, while reading the pretrial application at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday (27/7).
Lodewyk was named a suspect and detained in a case of alleged corruption in the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme at the BGN. “Declare the Respondent’s actions in arresting the Applicant, naming the Applicant as a suspect, and detaining the Applicant as arbitrary acts because they do not comply with applicable legal procedures,” said OC Kaligis.
OC Kaligis wants the judge to declare all documents related to the arrest, suspect designation, and detention issued by the Director of Investigation of the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) as invalid and without binding legal force. The judge was also asked to declare that the investigation carried out by the Attorney General’s Office regarding the management of the MBG programme at the BGN is also invalid and without legal basis, and therefore the said investigation has no binding legal force.
OC Kaligis wants the Attorney General’s Office to halt the legal process against Lodewyk. In addition, he asked the judge to declare invalid any further decisions or decrees issued by the Attorney General’s Office. “Order the Respondent to release the Applicant from the State Detention Centre. Restore all of the Applicant’s legal rights against the actions taken by the Respondent,” said OC Kaligis. “Charge the case costs to the state. Or if Your Honour has a different opinion, please grant a decision that is as fair as possible (ex aequo et bono),” he continued.
The Attorney General’s Office is currently processing at least seven suspects in the alleged corruption case concerning the management of the MBG programme at the BGN. They are former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana; former BGN Deputy Heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung; Sony’s associate Asep Yusuf Somantri (AYS); and Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), Andri Mulyono. Also named are the Chairperson of the Indonesia Food Security Review Foundation, Glory Harimas Sihombing; and the Secretary of the Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation at the BGN, Police Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan.
The Attorney General’s Office explained that the MBG programme was supposed to be managed by the Nutrition Service and Fulfilment Unit (SPPG) foundations affiliated with recipient schools. However, in practice, many SPPGs were appointed because they had affiliations with BGN officials. Furthermore, many foundations did not actually meet the requirements to become SPPG partners. There are also allegations of price mark-ups in the procurement of goods, resulting in losses that did not support the operational implementation of the MBG. These items include 21,801 electric motorcycles valued at IDR 1.03 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablet units, and 5,400 75-inch television units.