Former Deputy Head of National Nutrition Agency files new pretrial motion

Lodewyk Pusung, a former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) and a suspect in a corruption case, has again sought legal recourse by filing a pretrial motion. This latest challenge, lodged with the South Jakarta District Court on August 26, 2026, specifically targets the evidence seizure process conducted by investigators from the Attorney General's Office for Special Crimes.

The case revolves around alleged corruption in the governance of the "Makan Bergizi Gratis" (MBG) program. Pusung's legal team aims to have the court review and potentially invalidate the seizure of evidence, arguing it was improperly conducted. The court system's information portal shows the motion was registered under case number 150/Pid.Pra/2026/PN JKT.SEL.

This is not Pusung's first attempt to challenge the legal proceedings against him through a pretrial motion. Previously, he filed a similar motion at the Central Jakarta District Court, which was dismissed as the court ruled it lacked jurisdiction. Another attempt at the South Jakarta District Court to challenge his suspect status was also unsuccessful, with the judge finding the motion inadmissible.

The broader investigation involves at least seven individuals implicated in the alleged corruption of the MBG program's governance. These include former BGN heads Dadan Hindayana and Sony Sonjaya, along with Pusung. Other suspects include Asep Yusuf Somantri, Andri Mulyono (Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal), Glory Harimas Sihombing (Chairperson of the Indonesia Food Security Review Foundation), and Brigjen Pol Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan (Secretary of the BGN Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation).

Prosecutors allege that the MBG program, intended to be managed by foundations affiliated with recipient schools, was instead awarded to foundations linked to BGN officials. Furthermore, there are suspicions of inflated procurement prices for goods such as electric motorcycles, shoes, tablets, and televisions, leading to financial losses that did not support the program's operations.