Former Nutrition Agency Official Seeks Whistleblower Status Amid Free Meal Corruption Probe
Sony Sonjaya, the former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), has formally applied to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) to be granted justice collaborator (JC) status. The application relates to an alleged corruption case concerning the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme for the 2025-2026 period, which is currently being handled by the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung).
Krisna Murti, Sonjaya’s legal counsel, stated that the request was motivated by a lack of security guarantees for his client and his family after Sonjaya disclosed dozens of names allegedly involved in the case. “We have submitted the JC application to the LPSK, and it is currently under review. All requirements have been completed. The LPSK will visit my client and coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office,” Murti told journalists in Jakarta on Wednesday. He expressed hope that the LPSK would make an objective decision without external interference.
LPSK Chairman Achmadi confirmed that the agency is currently examining the application. “In principle, we will thoroughly assess any application submitted to the LPSK and subsequently coordinate with the relevant parties,” he said.
The Attorney General’s Office had previously rejected a similar request for justice collaborator status from Sonjaya. Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, the Director of Investigations at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), explained that Sonjaya failed to meet the legal requirements stipulated under Law Number 31 of 2014 and Supreme Court Circular Letter Number 4 of 2011. The criteria require that a justice collaborator is not the main perpetrator and admits to their actions.
Investigators concluded that Sonjaya was the primary party responsible for determining and verifying the locations of Nutritional Service Units (SPPG), making him the main actor rather than a secondary participant who could expose higher-level offenders. Furthermore, Nahdi noted that during examination, Sonjaya had not yet acknowledged the alleged offences as charged by the investigators.