Key facts
- Indonesian authorities arrested Dadan Hindayana, former chief of the National Nutrition Agency, and two other former officials.
- The arrests are related to alleged corruption and self-enrichment within President Prabowo Subianto's free meals program.
- Hindayana allegedly influenced the selection of program management foundations and inflated procurement costs.
- The free meals program is a key policy of President Prabowo Subianto's administration.
- The program has faced scrutiny due to food poisoning incidents and concerns about fiscal impact.
Indonesian authorities arrested Dadan Hindayana, the recently dismissed head of the National Nutrition Agency, along with two other former officials on Wednesday. The arrests by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) are on charges of causing state losses and self-enrichment related to President Prabowo Subianto's flagship free meals program. Hindayana, who was sacked less than 24 hours prior, allegedly influenced the selection of foundations managing the program's kitchens despite them not meeting standards and was involved in marked-up procurement of items like electric motorbikes, shoes, and televisions. The AGO also raided the agency's offices and the suspects' houses. The ambitious free meals program, a key part of Prabowo's presidential campaign, aims to provide meals to 83 million children and pregnant women, with a budget of at least $15 billion. The program has faced scrutiny due to food poisoning incidents affecting thousands of children and concerns about fiscal deficit thresholds.