Procurement of Motorcycles, Shoes, and Televisions in MBG Programme Becomes Profit Mine for Dadan and Associates
The former Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Dadan Hindayana, along with two former Deputy Heads, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewlyck Pusung, have been named suspects in an alleged corruption case involving the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme, the Attorney General’s Office announced on Wednesday (3/6).
The designation of suspects follows a series of examinations and the collection of evidence by prosecutors from the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes. Director of Investigation Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi stated that the MBG programme, which commenced on 6 January 2025, is managed by the BGN using state budget funds amounting to Rp85.27 trillion in 2025, projected to rise to Rp268 trillion in 2026.
According to regulations, the MBG programme should be managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools in each region. However, in practice, many Food Service Implementation Units (SPPG) were appointed due to their affiliations with BGN officials, despite failing to meet the necessary requirements to become partners. Investigators suspect that several unqualified foundations were approved through manipulated verification processes on the BGN partner portal, facilitated by the suspects.
These problematic foundations reportedly received billions of rupiah in incentives daily and trillions of rupiah annually, with some foundations being directly owned by Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk. Beyond the manipulation of partners, the Attorney General’s Office is also investigating broader corruption in the procurement of goods and services. The three suspects allegedly intervened with Commitment Making Officers (PPK) to ensure that the Terms of Reference (KAK) for BGN procurement did not reflect actual field requirements.
A primary focus of the investigation is the procurement of 21,801 electric motorcycles, where the Attorney General’s Office found indications of price mark-ups. Payments for these motorcycles were made to PT YAT, a company deemed unqualified as a vendor because it lacks active dealerships or workshops. The procurement of electric motorcycles had been a subject of public controversy even before the suspects were named. According to the Inaproc General Procurement Plan Information System (SiRUP), the BGN allocated approximately Rp1.22 trillion in 2025 for 24,400 electric motorcycles for SPPG operations. The controversy intensified after videos of thousands of motorcycles parked in warehouses went viral on social media.
While Dadan previously denied any wastefulness, claiming the purchase price of Rp42 million per unit was below the market price of Rp52 million, the Attorney General’s investigation has refuted these claims. Investigators found evidence of fund inflation across all procurements conducted under the leadership of Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk. Other problematic procurements identified include 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions, all of which allegedly involved mark-ups and regulatory violations.
The Attorney General’s Office maintains that these actions have resulted in significant losses to state finances. The three suspects are charged with violating Articles 603 and 604 in conjunction with Article 20 of Law Number 1 of 2023 regarding the Criminal Code. Following their designation as suspects, Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk have been detained at the Salemba Detention Centre in Jakarta for a 20-day investigation period.