Indonesian officials arrest Dadan Hindayana, the recently dismissed head of the National Nutrition Agency, along with two of his deputies, as part of a corruption investigation into the country’s free school meals programme. The arrests take place a day after Hindayana is fired by President Prabowo Subianto. Hindayana, an entomologist, has led the agency since it is established in August 2024. Along with him, two deputies are removed from their roles on Tuesday, before all three are taken into custody on Wednesday.
The free meals programme has been widely publicised as a flagship policy tied to Prabowo’s 2024 election campaign and is described by multiple outlets as a multi-billion-dollar scheme. Reporting links the programme to public controversy, including claims of corruption and past mass food poisoning incidents, though the immediate legal allegations cited by outlets focus on mismanagement. Authorities accuse the group of “crimes in the management” related to the programme. The case is presented as an extension of a broader probe into how the scheme is run and administered.
