Government Respects Legal Process for Ex-Deputy Head of National Nutrition Agency Seeking Justice Collaborator Status

Presidential Communications Office (Bakom) Head Muhammad Qodari has stressed that the government respects all ongoing legal processes regarding alleged corruption involving a former official of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). This includes the move by former BGN Deputy Head Sony Sanjaya, who has applied to be a justice collaborator. “We will simply follow the legal process as it proceeds properly. The matter is now in the hands of the Attorney General’s Office. Whether the justice collaborator status is accepted or not certainly depends on specific conditions,” Qodari told reporters after a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that the corruption allegations in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme under investigation can be grouped into two main aspects: alleged price discrepancies in the procurement of goods, and alleged trading of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Unit (SPPG) points. According to Qodari, information regarding several names mentioned by Sony Sanjaya still requires further investigation. It cannot yet be confirmed whether these parties are linked to the alleged procurement irregularities or the case of trading SPPG points. Further clarification and verification fall under the authority of the Attorney General’s Office. “Even if names are mentioned, everything goes back to the legal process, for instance whether trading of SPPG points really occurred. That certainly returns to the legal process,” Qodari stated. He also affirmed that law enforcement will proceed objectively, even though Sony mentioned names from executive, legislative, and judicial circles. Previously, Sony Sanjaya’s legal counsel, Krisna Mukti, revealed that his client applied for justice collaborator status after undergoing examination at the Attorney General’s Office on Thursday. Krisna stated the step was taken because Sony wishes to reveal the true facts regarding the parties allegedly involved in the case and to assert that he was not the main actor in the criminal act under investigation. Krisna added that his client has submitted more than 20 names suspected of having links to the MBG programme governance corruption case to investigators, formally recorded in the official examination report.