JAKARTA: Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) has broadened its investigation into corruption allegations surrounding the free nutritious meal scheme by apprehending two more individuals. The expansion marks a significant escalation in the inquiry, which previously resulted in the detention of three former officials from the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) overseeing the initiative.
On Friday, June 12, AGO investigators took Andri Mulyono into custody as a suspect following questioning. Andri, a commissioner at logistics company PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), is accused of inflating prices for approximately 21,000 electric motorcycles designated for meal preparation kitchens throughout the nation. Investigators allege his actions pushed procurement costs to Rp 1.03 trillion (US$58.2 million), matching the BGN's budgeted ceiling. According to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, investigation director at the Office of Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes, Andri profited through this alleged price manipulation scheme.
Electric motorcycle acquisitions became controversial in April after public outcry over their perceived irrelevance to the programme's core objectives. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa subsequently announced no additional motorcycle purchases would occur in 2026, attributing the situation to internal ministry communication failures that permitted portions of the proposal to receive approval.
A separate arrest involves businessman Asep Yusuf Somantri, apprehended earlier as another suspect. Investigators contend Asep leveraged a connection with former BGN deputy Sony Sonjaya to interfere in kitchen partner verification procedures, enabling him to manipulate registrations and advance applications beyond the official deadline. The five detainees now include Sony, fellow deputy Lodewyk Pusung, and former BGN chief Dadan Hindayana, all arrested June 3 following their dismissal by President Prabowo Subianto.
The AGO intends to question Sony further regarding his application for justice collaborator status, which could implicate over 20 additional individuals. The multitrillion-rupiah programme, targeting over 80 million schoolchildren and pregnant women against malnutrition, has faced mounting criticism following roughly 33,000 reported mass food-poisoning incidents since early 2025. Student-led demonstrations this week, under the hashtag #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut, demanded the scheme's suspension, characterizing it as a government misallocation amid currency depreciation concerns.
Government Communications Agency head Muhammad Qodari defended programme continuation on Saturday, acknowledging implementation challenges while rejecting calls for cessation. He emphasised that operational difficulties are inevitable during rollout phases and that problem-solving, rather than abandonment, represents the appropriate response to complications.
