JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has arrested two more suspects related to corruption in the free nutritious meal programme, widening its probe, which has already ensnared three former leaders of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) in charge of the project.
AGO investigators on Friday (June 12) arrested Andri Mulyono, commissioner of logistics company PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), as a suspect after questioning him earlier in the day in connection with the alleged corruption in the multitrillion-rupiah flagship programme.
Andri allegedly marked up the prices of over 21,000 electric motorcycles for free meals programme kitchens nationwide to reach the Rp 1.03 trillion (US$58.2 million) ceiling of the BGN's procurement budget.
“Andri unlawfully gained [extra money from] the manipulated procurement,†investigation director Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi of the Office of Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) said.
The procurement of electric motorcycles previously garnered public backlash in April for what many deem as lacking urgency.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has since said no new electric motorcycle purchases will proceed in 2026, citing internal miscommunication within the ministry that led to parts of the proposal being approved.
Earlier last week, AGO investigators arrested another businessman, Asep Yusuf Somantri, as a suspect in the case. He is believed to be a close associate of former BGN deputy head Sony Sonjaya, who was arrested earlier this month.
Investigators allege that Asep used access granted by Sony to meddle in the verification process for prospective free meals programme partners, allowing him to influence kitchen registrations and facilitate applications even after the registration period had ended.
The latest developments brought the number of suspects to five, following the arrests of Sony, his fellow former BGN deputy Lodewyk Pusung and former BGN head Dadan Hindayana on June 3, less than 24 hours after President Prabowo Subianto fired them from their posts.
The AGO is now planning to question Sony again as part of its review of his application for justice collaborator status to disclose over 20 additional names allegedly tied to the case.
“We are reviewing [Sony's] application. We will question the suspect as soon as possible,†Syarief said, without detailing further.
The free meals programme, designed to combat malnutrition by feeding over 80 million schoolchildren and pregnant women nationwide, has been marred by corruption allegations in its operations and at least 33,000 reported mass food-poisoning cases since its rollout in early 2025.
Public criticism has also intensified over the past week, culminating in the student protest dubbed #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut (Indonesia heading for bankruptcy) on Friday calling for a halt to the free meals programme.
Protesters described the programme as one of the government's “misplaced priorities†amid the country's weakening rupiah.
In response to the protest, Government Communications Agency (GCA) head Muhammad Qodari said on Saturday that the free meals programme would still continue, insisting that it remains an important initiative to reduce stunting.
“Any programme will inevitably face challenges during its implementation and operational stages. […] There will always be variations and problems along the way. Only dead people have no problems,†he said in a statement on Saturday.
“But those problems do not mean we should stop or retreat. We evaluate them,†he added. – The Jakarta Post/ANN
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