Mahfud MD Detects Scent of Case Barter Between AGO and Police

Constitutional law expert and former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD has alleged a case barter between the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the National Police. The suspicion emerged after the AGO issued a circular halting data and information gathering activities related to the Free Nutritious Meal Programme (MBG). The circular, numbered B-3256/F.2/Fd.2/07/2026 and issued on Friday, 10 July 2026, came just a month after the AGO had aggressively ordered investigations into potential irregularities in the programme’s kitchens and service units, which reportedly involved police personnel. Mahfud noted the dramatic shift in stance occurred shortly after the police transferred the case of former Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes Febrie Adriansyah to the AGO. “Yes, the public considers it a barter. Because the police managed to transfer this case to the AGO, even though we do not yet know under whose pressure, the police are then seen as having been given something in return, so the AGO then gave something else back,” Mahfud said. He detailed the chronology, explaining that the first letter, dated 15 June 2026, ordered the examination of all MBG kitchens and service units nationwide. The second letter, issued on 10 July, abruptly ordered the cessation of all such investigations. Mahfud warned that such elite-level legal compromises are extremely dangerous for the future of law enforcement in Indonesia, likening the situation to a smouldering fire that could trigger massive public distrust.