Indonesian army colonel detained over alleged free-meal procurement fraud

Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office has formally designated former National Nutrition Agency procurement deputy Colonel Budi Utomo as a suspect in a corruption case tied to the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program for 2025-2026. Acting through the Military Crimes Division, investigators allege that Budi, as the procurement commitment-making official, colluded with former BGN deputy Lodewyk Pusung and PT Yasa Artha Trimanunggal commissioner Andri Mulyono to award an electric-motorcycle contract worth roughly Rp1 trillion that failed to meet contractual standards and featured inflated pricing.

The probe revealed that only 3,229 of the 21,801 motorcycles ordered were actually received, yet full payment had already been made, suggesting state losses. Additional irregularities include manipulated handover documents and questionable appointments of nutrition service units linked to BGN officials. Budi was detained at the Jaya Military Police Detention Center in August 2026, following a joint jurisdiction process between military and civilian prosecutors. Seven other individuals, including former BGN heads and foundation leaders, have also been named suspects in the broader MBG corruption investigation.