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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Crime & Justice

Indonesian Attorney General's Office Names Brigadier General Suspect in MBG Corruption Case

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • The Attorney General's Office has named Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan a suspect in a corruption case related to the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program.
  • Mahardan is accused of orchestrating a scheme where witnesses were asked to establish a company and sell food trays at inflated prices, including a personal share for him.
  • This adds to six other suspects already named in the case, including former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana and his deputies.

Indonesia's Attorney General's Office has escalated a corruption investigation by naming Brigadier General Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan a suspect. Mahardan, who holds the position of Deputy Secretary for Promotion and Cooperation at the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), is implicated in alleged irregularities concerning the management of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program. He has reportedly been detained.

According to Syarief Sulaiman Nahdi, Director of Investigations for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office, Mahardan allegedly instructed witnesses YCS and RD to form a company in 2025. Their task was to sell food trays to potential partners of the kitchen or the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG). Syarief stated that Mahardan set the prices for these food trays, which included a "share for LMI" (Lalu Muhammad Iwan).

And he has been detained.

— Syarief Sulaiman NahdiDirector of Investigations for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office, confirming the detention of suspect Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan.

This development follows the earlier designation of six other suspects in the MBG corruption case. Among them are former BGN Head Dadan Hindayana and his deputies, Sony Sanjaya Lodewyk Pusung. The Attorney General's Office has also named Asep Yusuf Somantri, an associate of Sony, as a suspect. Additionally, Andri Mulyono, Commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (a supplier of BGN electric motorcycles), and Glory Harimas Sihombing, Chair of the Indonesia Food Security Review (IFSR) Foundation, are implicated.

The investigation into the MBG program's governance highlights potential systemic corruption within the agency. The involvement of high-ranking officials like Mahardan and the previous head of BGN suggests a deep-rooted issue that the Attorney General's Office is now working to uncover and prosecute.

So, that price included a share for LMI.

— Syarief Sulaiman NahdiExplaining how Lalu Muhammad Iwan allegedly profited from the inflated prices of food trays in the MBG program.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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