Indonesia arrests former head of President Prabowo’s flagship free meal scheme
The scheme was linked to cases of food poisoning that have reportedly affected at least 33,000 children as of April.
Former head of Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana (centre) being escorted to a detention vehicle in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jun 3, 2026. (Photo: EPA/Mast Irham)
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JAKARTA: Indonesia on Wednesday (Jun 3) arrested the former head of the country’s free school meals programme, blighted by mass food poisonings and corruption claims, a day after he was fired.
The programme was the flagship policy of President Prabowo Subianto’s 2024 election campaign.
Prabowo fired Dadan Hindayana, an entomologist who had led the National Nutrition Agency since its inception in August 2024, along with two deputies on Tuesday. All three were taken into custody in Jakarta on Wednesday.
They stand accused of “crimes in the management” of the programme, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi of the attorney general’s office (AGO) told reporters.
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Dadan allegedly influenced the selection of several foundations managing the programme’s kitchens even though they had not met standards, Syarief said, adding that he owned those foundations through external parties.
He was also allegedly involved in the marked up procurement of items, including more than 21,000 electric motorbikes, 32,000 pairs of shoes, and 5,400 televisions.
Authorities earlier raided the nutrition agency’s office as well as the homes of the three defendants, Syarief said.
Two sources, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that AGO personnel raided the agency’s headquarters at 2am local time on Wednesday in multiple vehicles.
The building remained under lockdown at 11am, and employees who were meant to report for duty were not allowed to enter the premises.
The government has budgeted at least US$15 billion for the ambitious programme, which aimed to feed at least 82.9 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women – nearly one-third of the country’s population.
However, investors wary of Prabowo’s big spending plans have worried that fiscal deficit thresholds could be challenged due to the programme.
The programme was among the first budget items to be cut back as Jakarta moved to counter the economic impact of the Middle East war.
The scheme was also linked to cases of food poisoning that have affected at least 33,000 children as of April, according to Network for Education Watch, a non-governmental organisation.
Prabowo has acknowledged problems and vowed to discipline anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.
Announcing Dadan’s dismissal on Tuesday, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said that “throughout the ongoing evaluation process, all programmes of the National Nutrition Agency will continue to run as they should”.
Source: Agencies/rl
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