Indonesia arrests officials over alleged corruption in free meals programme

[JAKARTA] Indonesian authorities arrested the recently dismissed head of an agency overseeing President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free meals programme on Wednesday (Jun 3), along with two other former officials, hours after a raid put the agency’s offices under lockdown.

Less than 24 hours after Prabowo sacked him, Dadan Hindayana, the National Nutrition Agency’s former chief, was arrested by Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on charges of causing state losses and enriching himself.

If found guilty, he could face a maximum 20-year prison sentence. Dadan was seen at the AGO building being whisked away in handcuffs and a pink vest and put into a vehicle, as throngs of reporters surrounded him.

The ambitious free meals programme was a key part of Prabowo’s campaign to win the presidency in 2024. The government budgeted at least US$15 billion to provide free meals to 83 million children and pregnant women across the sprawling archipelago.

Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, an AGO official, told reporters that Dadan was named as a suspect in a corruption case linked to the governance of the free meals programme.

Dadan allegedly influenced the selection of several foundations managing the programme’s kitchens even though they had not met standards, Syarief said, adding that the former chief owned those foundations through external parties.

He was also allegedly involved in the procurement of marked-up items, including more than 21,000 electric motorcycles, 32,000 pairs of shoes and 5,400 televisions.

The two other former agency officials were arrested for the same alleged crimes, Syarief said. The extent of the state’s losses were still being calculated, he added.

Reuters could not immediately contact the legal representatives of the suspects. Dadan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SEE ALSO

Gojek founder Nadiem pleads not guilty, says ‘the world felt like it was ending’ when in prison

Indonesian stocks tumble to five-year low, rupiah drops to record

Rupiah hits new low, breaches 14,000 threshold against Singdollar

The agency said that after the arrests it would respect the ongoing legal process, adding that its focus was on properly and transparently carrying out the free meals programme.

Prabowo said in a speech at a nutrition event, in a video published by his office after the arrests, that he heard of violations at the agency but did not want to comment much on the case as he did not want to interfere.

“I was forced to replace those I loved, trusted,” he said, adding that the free meals programme should not be a source for self-enrichment.

Dadan’s sacking was linked to governance and food quality concerns, Minister of the State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi said on Tuesday.

Free meal programme under growing scrutiny

Two sources, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that AGO personnel raided the agency’s building at 2 am on Wednesday in multiple vehicles.

The building remained under lockdown until Wednesday afternoon, and employees who were meant to report for duty were not allowed to enter the premises.

Syarief confirmed the raid of the office and the suspects’ houses. One employee said the raid took place on the second floor of the building, where the agency’s top leadership sits.

The free meals programme has come under intense scrutiny since its launch in January 2025, with investors wary of Prabowo’s big spending plans and worried that fiscal deficit thresholds could be challenged.

Prabowo has promised to forge ahead with the programme despite the concerns.

Dadan, an entomologist, will be replaced by his deputy, Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, who is a former journalist and was part of Prabowo’s campaigning team in the 2024 election.

The school meals programme has been linked to cases of food poisoning that had affected at least 33,000 children as at April, said Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental organisation. REUTERS