Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – Indonesia's Attorney General's Office has named former National Nutrition Agency (BGN) Deputy for Procurement and Distribution Secretary Colonel Budi Utomo a suspect in an alleged corruption case involving the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program in 2025-2026.
Anang Supriatna, head of the Attorney General's Office's Legal Information Center, said investigators from the Military Crimes Division of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes named Budi a suspect through a joint jurisdiction mechanism. The Army officer was named a suspect in August 2026.
"Colonel BU," Anang said when contacted on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
The Attorney General's Office has detained Budi at the Jaya Military Police Detention Center.
"The person concerned has been named a suspect and detained," Anang said.
According to Anang, Budi served as the procurement commitment-making official, or PPK, for goods and services in the case. Prosecutors allege that he was involved in the procurement of electric motorcycles for the MBG program.
Budi handled the procurement with Lodewyk Pusung, who was then BGN deputy head, and Andri Mulyono, commissioner of PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal.
Prosecutors allege that the electric motorcycle procurement, worth around Rp1 trillion, violated regulations because the vehicles did not meet contractual requirements and their prices were inflated. Investigators also found alleged manipulation of the official handover documents for the goods.
The Attorney General's Office said BGN had received only 3,229 electric motorcycles out of the total number specified in the procurement, although payment had already reached 100 percent. Investigators suspect the practice caused losses to the state.
Previously, Indonesian Military Information Center chief Brig. Gen. Muhammad Nas said Budi was still a witness in the case. Nas made the statement on July 7, 2026.
Tempo contacted Nas to confirm Budi's designation as a suspect and his detention at the Jaya Military Police Detention Center. He had not responded as of publication.
Seven suspects in MBG corruption case
The Attorney General's Office has named seven suspects in the alleged corruption case involving the governance of the MBG program for 2025-2026.
They include former BGN head Dadan Hindayana and two former BGN deputy heads, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung.
The other suspects are Asep Yusuf Somantri, described as an associate of Sony; PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal Commissioner Andri Mulyono; Indonesia Food Security Review Foundation chairman Glory Harimas Sihombing; and BGN Deputy for Promotion and Cooperation Secretary Brig. Gen. Lalu Muhammad Iwan Mahardan.
The Attorney General's Office said the MBG program was supposed to be implemented through foundations operating Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units, or SPPGs, affiliated with recipient schools.
However, prosecutors found that some SPPGs were appointed because they were affiliated with BGN officials, while several foundations allegedly did not meet the requirements to become SPPG partners.
Investigators also found alleged price inflation in several procurement projects for the MBG program. The procurements included 21,801 electric motorcycles worth Rp1.03 trillion, 32,000 pairs of shoes, 31,994 tablets, and 5,400 75-inch televisions.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2120565/indonesian-army-colonel-named-suspect-in-free-meal-corruption-cas