Jakarta, en.SERU.co.id — Former Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Dadan Hindayana, along with his two ex-deputies Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, have been named suspects in a major corruption investigation involving the government’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program.
The trio is accused of intervening in the verification process for nutrition service units (SPPG), allegedly steering contracts toward certain foundations with which they had close ties. These foundations reportedly earned billions of rupiah in daily profits from running the program.
Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) also allege the three manipulated procurement processes, leading to massive price markups on goods worth trillions of rupiah that were often unnecessary for the program’s actual operations.
“After finding clear evidence of irregularities, investigators have named Dadan, Sony, and Lodewyk as suspects,” said Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, Director of Investigation at Jampidsus Kejagung, during a press conference on Wednesday (3/6/2026).
Syarief explained that the suspects allegedly interfered with the verification of service units, allowing affiliated foundations to secure lucrative deals. They are also accused of pressuring Procurement Commitment Officials (PPK) to approve projects that did not align with the program’s real needs on the ground.
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Among the questionable procurements highlighted by investigators:
- The purchase of 21,801 electric motorcycles, valued at around Rp1 trillion.
- 32,000 pairs of shoes, suspected of being heavily marked up and not meeting specifications.
- More than 31,000 tablets and 5,400 units of 75-inch televisions, items investigators say had little relevance to delivering nutritious meals.
The case is being described as one of the largest corruption scandals linked to the MBG program. Investigators are continuing to trace the flow of funds and are looking into possible involvement of other parties.
This latest development marks a significant blow to the high-profile initiative, as authorities dig deeper into how public funds intended for children’s nutrition were allegedly siphoned off. (aan/mzm)
