Sony Sonjaya Allegedly Involved in Trillion-Rupiah MBG Corruption, Yet Retains Pro Bono Lawyer

A surprising decision has come from senior lawyer Elza Syarief, who has officially resigned as legal counsel for Sony Sonjaya, a suspect in the alleged corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme. The move has drawn attention because Elza admitted that during her time representing the client, she received no payment at all, providing legal assistance on a pro bono basis. The case implicating Sony Sonjaya has garnered public interest due to the estimated state losses, which are thought to reach Rp20 trillion. Investigators are probing alleged irregularities in the management of the MBG programme, including the practice of markups on procurement prices and the suspected buying and selling of locations for the Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), or MBG kitchens. Amid the enormous value of the case, Elza Syarief revealed that she assisted Sony without requesting or receiving any honorarium. “I helped Mr SS (Sony Sonjaya) pro bono, meaning for free. I never received any money, nor did I ever ask for it. I was sincere in opening this case transparently; they say I am tough and very open to the public, that is SS’s own statement,” said Elza Syarief. According to Elza Syarief, the decision to provide free legal assistance stemmed from her belief that Sony Sonjaya was not involved in the corrupt practices as alleged. At the beginning of the representation process, Sony Sonjaya reportedly convinced her repeatedly that he was clean and had not committed any legal violations. This statement initially led Elza Syarief to trust him, making her willing to act as his legal counsel without considering the financial aspect. However, the situation changed after she obtained new information from several parties. Elza Syarief admitted to discovering facts she considered contradictory to Sony Sonjaya’s initial confession. This information meant the trust between lawyer and client could no longer be maintained. “Because Mr Sony was not honest, having previously sworn he was clean. But information from several people, especially Asep, indicates he (Sony) received money from Asep regularly. How could he become a Justice Collaborator?” said Elza. For Elza Syarief, openness is the main foundation of the relationship between an advocate and a client. Without complete and honest information, formulating a defence strategy is considered impossible to carry out professionally.