Sony Sonjaya Officially Files to Become Justice Collaborator in MBG Case

Sony Sonjaya is set to reveal 20 major figures involved in the corruption case surrounding the governance of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme. The former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya, has officially applied to become a Justice Collaborator (JC) in the corruption case involving the management of the MBG programme.

Sony’s lawyer, Krisna Murti, stated that the application for JC status was not an attempt by his client to evade the ongoing legal process. He claimed that through the JC mechanism, his client intends to be cooperative and expose other parties involved in the case. “It is not about avoiding legal issues, but we want to be cooperative in revealing everyone involved in this flagship presidential programme,” he told reporters at the Attorney General’s Office on Monday.

Krisna noted that during examinations by investigators, Sony has already disclosed at least 20 major figures involved in the case. He further claimed that the names disclosed by his client represent only about half of the total involved parties. “More than 20 names have been mentioned, but our client says that is only a portion,” he said.

In addition to the Attorney General’s Office, Krisna stated that his client has also submitted a request for JC status to the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK). Consequently, he hopes that the application will be considered by investigators to facilitate the resolution of the MBG corruption case. “With a JC, we 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 National Nutrition Agency, Dadan Hindayana, along with former Deputy Heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, as suspects in the corruption case involving the management of the MBG programme.

Regarding the case, the Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, explained that the MBG programme should have been managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools. However, in practice, many Service Providers (SPPG) were appointed due to their affiliations with high-ranking BGN officials. Syarief noted that these foundations essentially did not meet the requirements to become SPPG partners. The three suspects also allegedly engaged in price mark-ups during procurement, leading to losses that undermined the operational execution of the MBermg programme.

He detailed the irregular procurements, which included 21,801 electric motorcycles worth IDR 1.03 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions.