The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has expanded its investigation into corruption allegations linked to Indonesia's free nutritious meals programme by arresting two more suspects. The development follows earlier detentions of three former leaders of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), the agency overseeing the sprawling initiative.
On Friday (June 12), investigators arrested Andri Mulyono, a commissioner at logistics firm PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), on suspicion of involvement in the alleged scheme. Authorities accuse Andri of inflating the price tag on over 21,000 electric motorcycles destined for meal preparation kitchens across the country, allowing costs to reach the Rp 1.03 trillion (US$58.2 million) budget cap set by BGN. According to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, investigation director at the Office of Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes, Andri benefited unlawfully from the manipulated procurement process.
A separate businessman, Asep Yusuf Somantri, was arrested earlier in the week. Investigators contend that Asep exploited access granted by former BGN deputy head Sony Sonjaya to interfere with the vetting process for prospective meal programme partners. This allowed him to shape kitchen registrations and advance applications beyond the official deadline. Sony and fellow former deputy Lodewyk Pusung were arrested on June 3, alongside then-BGN chief Dadan Hindayana, shortly after President Prabowo Subianto dismissed them.
The AGO is preparing to re-interview Sony regarding his application for justice collaborator status, which could lead to the identification of over 20 additional individuals implicated in the case. Officials stated they would conduct the questioning soon but provided no additional specifics.
The free meals programme, launched in early 2025 to feed over 80 million schoolchildren and pregnant women nationwide, has faced mounting criticism beyond corruption allegations. At least 33,000 mass food-poisoning cases have been documented since rollout. A student-led protest on Friday, labelled #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut (Indonesia heading for bankruptcy), called for programme suspension, citing government misplaced priorities amid currency weakness. Government Communications Agency head Muhammad Qodari defended the initiative on Saturday, arguing that implementation challenges are inevitable and that the programme remains essential for reducing stunting. Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announced no new electric motorcycle purchases will occur in 2026, attributing the earlier approval to internal miscommunication within the ministry.
