JAKARTA: Investigators with the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have widened their corruption inquiry into the free nutritious meal scheme by apprehending two further suspects, building on earlier arrests of three senior officials from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) overseeing the initiative.
On Friday (June 12), AGO operatives detained Andri Mulyono, a commissioner at logistics outfit PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), on suspicion of involvement in graft affecting the massive programme. Authorities allege he artificially elevated costs for approximately 21,000 electric motorcycles destined for meal-preparation facilities throughout the nation, manipulating figures to align with the BGN's Rp 1.03 trillion (US$58.2 million) budgetary cap. Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, head of investigations at Jampidsus (the Office of Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes), indicated that Andri secured unlawful financial gains through this alleged price manipulation.
Separately, AGO officials had previously booked Asep Yusuf Somantri, described as a business associate of former BGN second-in-command Sony Sonjaya. Prosecutors contend that Asep exploited access granted by Sony to interfere in partner verification procedures, allowing him to alter kitchen registrations and advance applications beyond official deadlines. These two detentions supplement the earlier arrest of Sony alongside fellow ex-deputy Lodewyk Pusung and then-chief Dadan Hindayana on June 3, following their immediate removal by President Prabowo Subianto.
The motorcycle procurement earlier sparked public outcry in April due to perceived irrelevance to programme objectives. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa subsequently declared that no fresh motorcycle acquisitions would proceed during 2026, attributing the situation to internal ministry coordination failures that resulted in partial approval of the proposal.
Authorites are preparing to re-examine Sony regarding his petition for justice collaborator status, which would reveal associations with over 20 additional individuals potentially connected to the scheme. The five-suspect investigation encompasses allegations spanning procurement irregularities and operational misconduct.
The initiative, intended to address malnutrition across more than 80 million schoolchildren and expectant mothers nationwide, has encountered significant operational difficulties. Since commencing in early 2025, the programme has faced persistent complaints regarding food safety, with authorities documenting at least 33,000 mass poisoning incidents. Recent public backlash crescendoed in Friday demonstrations branded #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut (Indonesia heading for bankruptcy), with participants demanding suspension, characterising the scheme as misaligned governmental priorities given currency weakness.
Government Communications Agency director Muhammad Qodari responded Saturday by reaffirming continuation of the meals initiative, dismissing criticisms and framing challenges as inevitable during implementation phases. He maintained the programme remains vital for combating childhood stunting, emphasising that difficulties warrant assessment rather than abandonment.
