PDIP Legislator: National Nutrition Agency Governance Weak in Free Nutritious Meal Programme
PDIP legislator Said Abdullah has assessed that governance issues have been a significant weakness for the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) since the agency began implementing the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. Said made these remarks after the Attorney General’s Office named the former Head of BGN, Dadan Hindayana, and two former deputies as corruption suspects.
“Since the beginning, I have repeatedly stated that the weakness of the BGN—a priority programme of the President—lies in its governance aspects,” said the Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Budget Committee at the DPR/MPR Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday, 4 June 2026.
The PDIP politician stated that the MBG budget should be focused on meeting the nutritional needs of the community, rather than on the procurement of goods and services that are not directly related to the programme’s objectives. “I have repeatedly said to focus on free nutritious meals, not on incentives, motorcycles, or iPads. There is no connection at all,” said Said.
On Wednesday night, 3 June 2026, the Attorney General’s Office named former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana and two former deputies, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, as suspects in a corruption case. All three were detained following searches conducted at the BGN office and several private residences on the same day.
The Director of Special Crimes Investigation at the Attorney General’s Office, Syarief Sulaiman Nahdi, stated that the suspects were named after investigators secured two pieces of evidence. “Based on sufficient evidence obtained by investigators, all three have been named suspects,” Syarief said during a press conference at the Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday night.
In this case, prosecutors suspect the three suspects engaged in irregularities regarding the management of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), or MBG kitchens. According to prosecutors, the suspects allegedly controlled several foundations managing the SPPG through third parties to obtain illegal profits.
In addition to the alleged manipulation of foundations, investigators also discovered suspected mark-ups in several procurement projects within the BGN. These projects include the procurement of 21,801 electric motorcycles worth approximately Rp 1 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions.