JAKARTA: Indonesia's Attorney General's Office (AGO) is broadening its investigation into corruption allegations plaguing the free nutritious meal programme, having now arrested five individuals. The latest detentions include Andri Mulyono, a commissioner at logistics firm PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal (YAT), along with businessman Asep Yusuf Somantri, significantly expanding the scope of the inquiry beyond initial suspects.

Andri Mulyono stands accused of artificially inflating prices on approximately 21,000 electric motorcycles destined for meal programme kitchens across the country, allegedly engineering costs to reach the Rp 1.03 trillion (US$58.2 million) budgetary limit set by the National Nutrition Agency (BGN). According to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, investigation director at the Office of Assistant Attorney General for Special Crimes, such price manipulation allowed Andri to unlawfully retain surplus funds from the procurement process. The electric motorcycle purchases drew considerable public backlash in April, with critics questioning their necessity for the programme's operations.

Asep Yusuf Somantri allegedly leveraged his connection to former BGN deputy head Sony Sonjaya to interfere with partner verification procedures, granting him influence over kitchen registration processes and enabling him to push through applications beyond the official registration deadline. Earlier arrests involved Sony Sonjaya and fellow former deputy Lodewyk Pusung on June 3, along with ex-BGN chief Dadan Hindayana, all dismissed by President Prabowo Subianto within hours of their detention. The AGO is now preparing to question Sony again regarding his application for justice collaborator status, under which he has reportedly indicated willingness to name over 20 additional individuals allegedly connected to the scheme.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa announced that no further electric motorcycle purchases will take place during 2026, attributing the earlier approvals to internal communication breakdowns within the ministry. The initiative, which distributes meals to over 80 million schoolchildren and pregnant women nationwide to combat malnutrition, has been hampered by at least 33,000 documented mass food-poisoning incidents since launching in early 2025. Public outcry intensified following a student-led protest on Friday dubbed #MenujuIndonesiaBangkrut, criticising the programme as a misplaced priority amid concerns about the country's weakening rupiah.

Government Communications Agency head Muhammad Qodari responded to the protest by reaffirming the administration's commitment to continuing the meals scheme, characterising implementation difficulties as inevitable. Qodari stated that such programmes typically encounter challenges and require adjustments, but that these obstacles should not lead to programme cancellation. He maintained that the initiative remains essential for addressing stunting across the nation.