Indonesian investigators searched the National Nutrition Agency’s offices Wednesday, a day after President Prabowo Subianto fired the agency chief over a troubled free meals program. Officials said the government will not disrupt services, even as the Attorney
Jakarta—Indonesian investigators moved through the National Nutrition Agency’s offices Wednesday, locking out employees for hours as the search continued a day after President Prabowo Subianto fired the head of the agency responsible for his free meals program.
Agents of the Attorney General’s Office searched the agency’s office building through the day Wednesday. but it wasn’t clear whether the operation was connected to a criminal investigation. The program has drawn intense scrutiny since it began. fueled by steep costs and cases of food poisoning reported among schoolchildren who ate the meals.
Prabowo fired Dadan Hindayana on Tuesday evening, replacing him with Nanik S. Deyang, the agency deputy. The free meals plan, launched as a campaign promise, is intended to fight malnutrition by feeding nearly 90 million children and pregnant women.
State officials said the leadership change is not meant to interrupt delivery. Minister of the State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi told reporters Tuesday after the firing that “services to the public must not be disrupted in any way.”
Hadi said some of the concerns involved discipline in following standard operating procedures, while others involved discipline in implementing governance. He also pointed to discipline in maintaining food quality “as stipulated by the National Nutrition Agency.”
Mochamad Jeffry, the agency’s acting spokesperson, said investigators were still searching at the National Nutrition Agency Wednesday and did not disclose what case was being investigated.
The program is expected to cost $28 billion through 2029. While Prabowo has said the effort is aimed at fighting malnutrition and supporting farmers by purchasing their harvests. critics have questioned whether the program is affordable and logistically possible across Indonesia’s sprawling population of more than 282 million people. spread over an archipelago.
The search unfolded as the government insisted the program would continue, even as the agency’s leadership changed and investigators pressed deeper into the agency’s operations.
Indonesia Prabowo Subianto National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana Nanik S. Deyang free meals program Attorney General’s Office food poisoning malnutrition
So they fired the guy but the meals still going? Seems kinda backwards.
Free meals for kids and they still find something shady?? Food poisoning reports too, that’s messed up. I’m glad they’re searching, but wonder if they’ll actually fix the quality or just swap names.
Wait, I thought the attorney general was the one who investigates corruption, not like… the whole nutrition agency? Also why lock out employees for hours like that if it’s not criminal? Sounds like it IS criminal lol.
90 million kids?? That number sounds inflated, like PR math. And $28 billion through 2029… we’re just gonna pretend that’s affordable across islands? I swear these programs always get messed up with “standard operating procedures” and then everybody acts shocked.