State Will Not Interfere in Attorney General's Investigation into Free Nutritious Meal Case

Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas has deferred the law enforcement process regarding the former leadership of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to the relevant authorities, specifically the Attorney General’s Office. “We are currently in the process of presumption of innocence; we leave it to the established mechanisms and the law enforcement agencies,” Supratman stated during an interview at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

He emphasised that Indonesia is a state governed by law and noted that President Prabowo Subianto has explicitly warned officials against engaging in unlawful activities. “We leave it entirely to the law enforcement agencies. This means the President is always reminding us of matters related to such issues,” he added.

The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has named the former Head of the BGN, Dadan Hindayana, as a suspect in a corruption case involving the Free Nutritious Meal programme. The allegations pertain to the appointment of affiliated foundations as partners for the School Nutrition Implementation Unit (SPPG). Along with Hindayana, investigators from the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) have also named two former Deputy Heads of the BGN, Lodewyk Pusung and Sony Sonjaya, as suspects.

Following a search of the BGN office in Central Jakarta, the three former officials were detained and seen wearing the pink vests characteristic of Attorney General’s Office detainees. President Prabowo Subianto officially removed the three individuals from their positions at the BGN on Tuesday evening. Reports from the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) suggest the removals may be linked to allegations of illegal trading involving kitchen site allocations for the Free Nutritious Meal programme.