Purged and Cuffed: Indonesia’s Nutrition Chiefs Detained in Scandal Over Free Meals

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The ambitious flagship welfare program of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has hit a swift and bruising roadblock. Just hours after being abruptly stripped of their duties, the former top leadership of the country’s newly minted National Nutrition Agency (BGN) were led out of the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) in handcuffs and pink detention vests on Wednesday.

Former BGN Chief Dadan Hindayana, flanked by security, emerged from a grueling interrogation room at approximately 5:11 p.m. local time. He walked silently past a crowd of reporters into a waiting law enforcement vehicle. Shortly thereafter, his two former deputies, Sony Sanjaya and Lodewyk Pusung, followed him into custody, donning the same bright pink attire reserved for corruption suspects in Indonesia.

The sweeping arrests mark a dramatic escalation in a corruption probe that strikes at the heart of the administration's policy center. The agency was established to oversee the Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG) initiative—a multi-billion dollar free nutritious meal program aimed at eradicating stunting among school children. The political fallout is expected to reverberhip through Jakarta's markets, as the program represents a cornerstone of the nation's domestic economic strategy.

The crackdown began in the dark of night. At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday, elite investigators from the Attorney General’s special crimes division launched a raid on the agency’s headquarters in the Menteng district of Central Jakarta. The raid commenced just hours after State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi announced that President Prabowo had officially terminated the three officials on Tuesday evening.

"Investigators from the Special Crimes unit have indeed conducted a search at the BGN office," confirmed M. Jefri, the acting head of the Attorney General’s legal information center.

The Market for Kitchen Nodes

While prosecutors have yet to formally detail the indictment ahead of an upcoming press conference, administration insiders indicate the graft involves the monetization of the program's infrastructure. Head of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Dudung Abdurachman stated on Wednesday that the dismissals were directly tied to the alleged buying and selling of quotas for the Satuan Pelayanan Pemenuhan Gizi (SPPG)—the specialized local kitchen nodes tasked with preparing and distributing the meals.

"Yes, I received information to that effect," Mr. Dudung told reporters following a parliamentary hearing at the House of Representatives complex in Senayan, Jakarta.

The investigation appears to have been catalyzed by a whistle-blower report filed in March 2026 by an official program partner, the Garuda Muda Dharmagati Foundation (YGMD). The foundation filed a formal complaint alleging systemic maladministration, abuse of authority, and collusion within the agency's leadership.

According to sources familiar with the filing, the scheme involved the unauthorized digital hijacking and reassignment of SPPG operational accounts and corporate virtual bank accounts (VAs) originally registered to YGMD. These lucrative operational nodes were allegedly transferred covertly to rival foundations within the agency's centralized system.

A Swift Institutional Reset

Seeking to contain the political damage and ensure the continuity of the welfare program, President Prabowo moved swiftly to replace the compromised leadership. The palace has named Nanik S. Deyang as the new chief of the National Nutrition Agency. Assisting her will be Agustina Arumsari and Retired Major General Trenggono, who step into the vacant deputy roles.

Before his arrest, Dadan briefly commented on his sudden dismissal, framing the shake-up as a normal exercise of governance. "It is the absolute prerogative of the President," he said.