Indonesia: Ex-Nutrition Agency Leaders Named Corruption Suspects Over Unnecessary Purchases

Prosecutors in Indonesia have named three former leaders of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) as suspects in a corruption case involving the procurement of goods and services for the free nutritious meal (MBG) program. The agency's former head, Dadan Hindayana, along with two former deputies, Retired Police Inspector General Sony Sonjaya and Retired Lieutenant General Lodewyk Pusung, are accused of intervening in the procurement process between 2025 and 2026.

According to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation of the Attorney General's Special Crimes Directorate, the suspects' actions led to the purchase of items not needed for the MBG program, such as electric motorcycles, shoes, tablets, and televisions. These purchases have sparked public discussion on social media. Syarief stated that the intervention also resulted in price inflation, or mark-ups, causing wastage and financial losses to the state, though the exact amount has not yet been disclosed.

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The procurement process of goods and services at the National Nutrition Agency is against the law.

The Attorney General's Office revealed that the procurement process itself was against the law. Specific purchases under scrutiny include 21,801 electric motorcycles valued at Rp1 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions. The investigation is ongoing to determine the full extent of the financial losses incurred by the state.

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This has caused wastage and financial losses to the state.