Bima Arya denies having personal interests in the MBG program

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto denied having personal interests in the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program after his name was mentioned in the whirlpool of a suspected corruption case being investigated by the Attorney General's Office related to the former Deputy Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), Sony Sonjaya.

Bima emphasized that all the steps and coordination he had carried out so far were part of the state's duties carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) in supporting the implementation of the MBG program in the region.

"In Presidential Decree Number 28 of 2025 concerning the Coordination Team for the Implementation of the MBG Program, several tasks from the Ministry of Home Affairs are regulated. One of them is to facilitate the resolution of obstacles and obstacles in the implementation of MBG together with the regional government and BGN," said Bima Arya when confirmed, Friday, June 12.

According to Bima, the involvement of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the MBG program has a clear legal basis so that the coordination carried out with the National Nutrition Agency and the local government is part of the implementation of institutional tasks.

He explained that various problems that arise in the implementation of programs in the field, including in remote areas, are indeed part of the responsibilities that must be assisted in their resolution by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

"I coordinate with the head of BGN and the regional head to solve field problems. Including problems in remote areas which are also the task of the Ministry of Home Affairs. There are also reports from friends of the Chamber of Commerce that are followed up," he said.

Bima also denied allegations that he was involved in the management of the public kitchen project or had business interests related to the implementation of the MBG program.

He emphasized that he did not have a kitchen or involvement in procurement related to the program. According to him, the relationship with the BGN leadership has only taken place in official government forums.

"There is no personal interest, let alone having a kitchen. I only meet and coordinate with the head of BGN in official coordination meetings and have never met other than official coordination meetings," he said.

Responding to the circulation of a list of the names of a number of figures who are said to be related to the case on social media, Bima questioned the source of the information that became the basis for the dissemination of these names.

He assessed that the information circulating did not have clarity of source or legal basis that could be accounted for.

"It is also unclear where the sources of the names are. That information is not clear where it is from? It is not Mr. Sony who said it, not even from the lawyer. We just follow the legal process of the issue so that everything will be clear," he said.

The case of alleged corruption in the management of the MBG program for the 2025-2026 budget period is currently being handled by the Attorney General's Office for Special Crimes (Jampidsus).

In this case, the Attorney General's Office has named three former BGN officials as suspects, namely the former Head of BGN Dadan Hindayana and two former Deputy Heads of BGN, Sony Sonjaya and Lodewyk Pusung.

They are suspected of being involved in irregularities related to the appointment of nutrition fulfillment service unit (SPPG) partners or public kitchen projects as well as alleged price inflation in the procurement of goods.

The names of a number of officials and public figures began to be associated with the case after Sony Sonjaya volunteered as a justice collaborator. Through his lawyer, Sony is said to have revealed pressure to accommodate a number of proposals related to the management of the MBG kitchen point.

However, until now there has been no official statement from investigators who have established the involvement of parties whose names are circulating on social media in the case. The investigation process is still ongoing at the Attorney General's Office.