Sony Sanjaya Sings in MBG Corruption Case

Former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Body (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, has applied to become a justice collaborator in the alleged corruption case concerning the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal programme. The Attorney General’s Office has confirmed receiving Sony’s application letter and is currently reviewing it. ‘The letter has been received and is being studied,’ said the Director of Investigations at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, on Wednesday (10/6). Syarief stated that his team has not yet decided whether to accept Sony’s justice collaborator application. He also noted there is no time limit for investigators in the review process, adding that the team will also consider the evidence already obtained before deciding on Sony’s status. While the application is still pending, Sony has already started ‘singing’ about the alleged involvement of several big names in the corruption case that has ensnared three senior BGN officials, including former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana. Through his lawyer, Krisna Murti, Sony claimed to have provided 26 names involved in the alleged MBG corruption case. Krisna mentioned that these dozens of prominent names have also been recorded in the official investigation reports by the investigators. ‘We have conveyed it to the investigators, it is already in the BAP,’ he told reporters on Wednesday. However, Krisna did not reveal further details about the specific figures allegedly involved, only stating that they come from various executive, judicial, and legislative institutions. Furthermore, Krisna said the number submitted by Sony so far is only partial, noting the possibility that the list of names will grow during further examinations. He also claimed his client was pressured by prominent figures in the case, with Sony being contacted by individuals from executive, legislative, and judicial circles regarding the MBG programme. ‘All the communication evidence is clearly recorded in my client’s mobile phone, which has now been seized by investigators,’ he stated, urging that the evidence be made public. In the investigation, Krisna claimed Sony experienced pressure both directly and due to the influence of the figures contacting him, which forced his client to grant permits for the establishment of Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units. Previously, the Attorney General’s Office named Dadan Hindayana, Sony Sonjaya, and Lodewyk Pusung as suspects in the corruption case. Investigators explained that the MBG programme should have been managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools, but in practice, many service units were appointed due to their affiliations with BGN officials, and these foundations did not actually meet the requirements. The suspects allegedly marked up prices during procurement, causing operational losses, including Rp1.03 trillion for 21,801 electric motorcycles, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions.