Sony Sonjaya Names 20 Figures to Investigators After Seeking Justice Collaborator Status
Sony Sonjaya, the former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), has officially applied to become a Justice Collaborator (JC) in the corruption case concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. During questioning by investigators from the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung), Sonjaya reportedly disclosed at least 20 prominent figures linked to the case.
Sony’s lawyer, Krisna Murti, stated that the names disclosed by his client represent only a portion of the total involved. “More than 20 names were mentioned. However, our client says this is only a part of it,” he told reporters at the Attorney General’s Office on Monday (8/6).
Regarding the JC application, Krisna emphasised that the move is not intended to evade the ongoing legal process. He claimed that through the JC status, his client intends to be cooperative and reveal other parties involved in the case. “It is not about avoiding legal issues, but we want to be cooperative in uncovering everyone involved in this flagship presidential programme,” he said.
In addition to the Attorney General’s Office, Krisna noted that his client has also submitted a JC application to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). He expressed hope that the application would be considered by investigators to facilitate the resolution of the MBG corruption case. “With a JC, we can make it easier for investigators to expand the investigation into related parties,” he explained.
Previously, the Attorney General’s Office named the former Head of the BGN, Dadan Hindayana, along with former Deputy Heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, as suspects in the MBG programme management corruption case.
Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, explained that the MBG programme should have been managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools. However, in practice, many Food Service Providers (SPPG) were appointed due to their affiliations with BGN officials. Syarief noted that these foundations did not actually meet the requirements to become SPPG partners.
The three suspects are also accused of price mark-ups during procurement, leading to losses that undermined the programme’s operations. Specifically, the irregular procurement included 21,801 electric motorcycles worth IDR 1.03 trillion, 30,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions. These designations were made one day after President Prabowo Subianto removed Dadan and his associates from their core positions within the BGN.