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Indonesia Names Confidant Suspect in Nutritious Meal Program Corruption Case
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Indonesia Names Confidant Suspect in Nutritious Meal Program Corruption Case

From CNN Indonesia · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indonesian authorities have named a new suspect, Asep Yusuf Somantri, in a corruption case involving the "Makan Bergizi Gratis" (MBG) program.
  • Somantri, a confidant of a previous suspect, allegedly intervened in the selection of program partners and facilitated the establishment of food providers.
  • He is accused of accepting bribes and faces charges under anti-corruption laws, with detention for 20 days.

Indonesian prosecutors have identified a new suspect in a corruption investigation into the "Makan Bergizi Gratis" (MBG) program, a government initiative providing nutritious meals. Asep Yusuf Somantri (AYS), described as a close associate of former Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN) official Sony Sanjaya, was named in the case on June 6, 2026.

On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the investigation team named one suspect, AYS, a private individual.

— Syarief Sulaeman NahdiSyarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation for the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, announced the naming of the new suspect.

According to the Attorney General's Office, Somantri was allegedly instructed by Sanjaya to find partners for the MBG program. He is accused of exploiting his access to influence the verification process for program partners, enabling him to manipulate the system. Prosecutors claim Somantri could identify and cancel applications from potential partners, and facilitate the approval of others, even in areas where services were already established.

In this case, Asep Yusuf was asked by suspect Sony to find partners for the implementation of the "Makan Bergizi Gratis" program.

— Syarief Sulaeman NahdiSyarief Sulaeman Nahdi explained Asep Yusuf Somantri's alleged role in facilitating the corruption scheme.

Further allegations state that Somantri received illicit payments from individuals after arranging for the establishment of food provider points. This alleged corruption has led to Somantri being charged under Indonesia's Anti-Corruption Law and articles of the Criminal Code. He has been detained for 20 days at the South Jakarta District Attorney's Office detention center.

So that he could identify empty kitchen points and arrange them in such a way that potential SPPGs who registered on the MBG partner portal who had been approved would have their registration status canceled.

— Syarief Sulaeman NahdiSyarief Sulaeman Nahdi detailed how Somantri allegedly manipulated the partner selection process.

The MBG program's mismanagement has already led to the indictment of several high-ranking BGN officials, including former head Dadan Hindayana and former deputy heads Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung. The investigation revealed that program partners were allegedly appointed based on affiliations with BGN officials rather than meeting eligibility criteria. Additionally, the officials are accused of inflating prices for procured goods, including electric motorcycles, shoes, tablets, and televisions, resulting in significant financial losses.

After arranging the SPPG points, Mr. AYS unlawfully gave a sum of money to suspect SS.

— Syarief Sulaeman NahdiSyarief Sulaeman Nahdi described the alleged bribery that took place.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNN Indonesia in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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