Four Officials Entangled in Corruption Scandals in a Single Day, Including Former Head of BGN and Deputy Minister of Immigration
A number of state officials were implicated in corruption cases within a single day on Wednesday (3/6). Three of them are former leaders of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), who have been named suspects by the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung). Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services, Silmy Karim, surrendered himself to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) following a sting operation (OTT) at the West Jakarta Immigration Office.
Three former BGN leaders become suspects in Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) corruption
The Attorney General’s Office has named the former Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, along with two former Deputy Heads of BGN, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, as suspects in the alleged corruption regarding the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme for 2025-2026. The Director of Investigation for Special Crimes at the Attorney General’s Office, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, stated that the three individuals allegedly utilised foundations affiliated with them to act as partners for the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG).
“The budget should have been managed by foundations at each school. However, in reality, the foundations appointed as SPPG partners were foundations used as vehicles for crime and were affiliated with BGN officials or employees who did not meet the requirements to be SPKS partners,” Syarief said during a press conference on Wednesday (3/6).
The MBG programme is known to have an allocated budget of Rp85.2 trillion for 2025 and Rp268 trillion for 2026, sourced from the State Budget (APBN). The Attorney General’s Office suspects that the foundations affiliated with the suspects received incentives amounting to billions of rupiah every day. Furthermore, investigators found allegations of mark-ups in several goods and services procurements. The highlighted procurements include 21,801 electric motorcycle units worth approximately Rp1 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,000 tablets, and 5,400 units of 75-inch televisions, which were reportedly not in accordance with regulations and involved price inflation. As a result of their actions, Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk have been named suspects and detained at Salemba Detention Centre for 20 days for investigation purposes.
Deputy Minister of Immigration surrenders to KPK
On the same day, the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Correctional Services, Silmy Karim, surrendered to the KPK after being identified as one of the parties sought during a series of sting operations in West Jakarta. Observers noted that Silmy arrived at the KPK’s Merah Putih Building around 10:32 PM WIB and proceeded directly to the interrogation room. When asked about his activities following the arrest of the Head of the West Jakarta Immigration Office, Silmy only replied briefly, “Just this, completing an agenda.”
KPK Spokesperson Budi Prasetyo stated that the sting operation relates to the processing of stay permits for foreign nationals (WNA) in Indonesia. “For the details, we will explain later, because in the process of managing KITAS or KITAP, these foreign nationals can also use intermediaries. We will explain the legal construction in a press conference,” said Budi.
Budi stated that the alleged criminal act committed by Silmy Karim occurred during his tenure as the Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights for the 2023-2024 period. Silmy was inaugurated as Director General of Immigration on 4 January 2023 and concluded his term on 21 October 2024, coinciding with his appointment as Deputy Minister. The KPK arrested dozens of people during the operations and seized evidence including four cars, nine motorcycles, seven bicycles, Singaporean and US dollars, and gold bullion.