Indonesia's Badan Gizi Nasional hit with seven MBG corruption suspects

Indonesia’s Badan Gizi Nasional (BGN) is at the centre of a sprawling corruption investigation into the free nutritious‑meal (MBG) programme. The Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) has named seven individuals as suspects, including police Brigadier Lalu Muhammad Iwan, former BGN heads Dadan Hindayana and Sony Sonjaya, former deputy Lodewyk Pusung, businessman Asep Yusuf Somantri, PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal commissioner Andri Mulyono and civil‑society figure Glory Harimas Sihombing. Investigators allege they manipulated procurement of food trays, motorcycles and other supplies, inflating prices and steering contracts to benefit themselves.

All suspects have been detained at the Salemba detention centre for up to 20 days while the case proceeds under Indonesia’s anti‑corruption law (Pasal 12 a, b, e). Lodewyk Pusung has filed a pre‑trial (praperadilan) motion challenging the legality of his arrest and designation as a suspect, with a hearing scheduled for 13 July. The investigation also uncovered alleged involvement of an active‑duty TNI colonel (initials BU) acting as a procurement official, who is being examined through a military‑civil connectivity mechanism.

The case highlights systemic procurement irregularities within the MBG programme and has drawn scrutiny from both police and military authorities.