JAKARTA, June 3 — Indonesian officials arrested today 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 much-hyped billion-dollar feeding scheme 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 yesterday. All three were taken into custody in Jakarta today.

They stand accused of “crimes in the management” of the programme, Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi of the attorney general’s office told reporters.

Authorities earlier raided the nutrition agency’s office as well as the homes of the three defendants, Syarief said.

The government says the programme has provided meals to more than 61 million people by March, but tens of thousands of people have fallen ill since it was rolled out in January last year.

Critics have called for the scheme to be suspended over hygiene concerns and accusations of corruption.

Last month, anti-graft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch filed a complaint against Dadan citing alleged budget irregularities.

Syarief said today that foundations appointed by the three defendants to oversee kitchens were allegedly “used as vehicles for crimes”.

“Those foundations received billions of rupiahs in incentives every day, and those foundations were affiliated, owned by” the suspects, he added.

The trio are also accused of overseeing illicit procurement of electric motorbikes, shoes, tablets and television sets.

If found guilty, they could face life imprisonment.

The free meal scheme had a goal of reaching at least 82.9 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding women — nearly one-third of the country’s population.

More than 20 per cent of children in Indonesia are affected by stunting caused by severe malnutrition.

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.

Dadan, who just Tuesday attended an official event by Prabowo’s side, told parliament last year the programme was responsible for at least 11,000 poisoning cases, with over 600 people hospitalised.

Prabowo has also acknowledged problems and vowed to discipline anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.

Announcing Dadan’s dismissal yesterday, 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”. — AFP

JAKARTA, June 8 — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto today appointed a new head of the agency responsible ‌for implementing his flagship free meals programme, replacing the previous office holder who was dismissed and arrested on graft charges last week. Here are some key details about ‌the inauguration:

At the presidential palace, Prabowo appointed Nanik Sudaryati Deyang as the new head of the National Nutrition Agency, replacing her predecessor Dadan Hindayana, who was arrested last week on allegations of corruption linked to the free meals programme.

Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office (AGO) also arrested two of the agency’s deputy heads on charges of corruption leading to state losses.

The three were accused of manipulating the selection of the foundations managing the programme’s kitchens, and also artificially marking up the prices of electric motorbikes, shoes, ‌and televisions procured as part of the programme.

“Our concern is regarding ⁠budget efficiency so we will not burden ⁠the state budget, while at the same ⁠time maintaining the targets we have ⁠set,” Nanik ⁠said after her inauguration.

The efficiency measures include a moratorium on the establishment of new kitchens, “refocusing” the programme on new recipients and developing kitchens in ⁠remote areas through grants or CSR programmes from state firm or private companies, rather than the state budget, Nanik said.

Prabowo also appointed two new deputy heads of the free meals agency: Agustina Arumsari, former deputy head of Financial and Development Supervisory Agency, and Major General Trenggono who ⁠has resigned from the Military.

Prabowo also appointed the head of the Labour Party, Said Iqbal, as his new special advisor ⁠for manpower and labour welfare affairs.

Prabowo’s free meals programme, a key part ⁠of his ⁠election campaign launched in January 2025, has raised investor concerns about overspending and fiscal deficit risks.

The programme has also sparked a public outcry about health and ‌safety, with cases of food poisoning affecting at least 33,000 children as of April, according to the Network for Education Watch, a non-government organisation. — Reuters