Indonesia Detains Ex-Nutrition Agency Chief Amid Free Meal Scandal

Former head of Indonesia's National Nutrition Agency Dadan Hindayana (centre) (Photo: EPA/Mast Irham)

(CNA) - Indonesian authorities have arrested Dadan Hindayana, the former head of the National Nutrition Agency, just one day after his dismissal from President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free school meals programme. The initiative, launched in 2024 to provide meals to millions of children and mothers, has been marred by corruption allegations and widespread food poisoning incidents affecting over 33,000 children as of April.

Officials accuse Hindayana of manipulating the selection of foundations to run programme kitchens, despite their failure to meet standards, and of secretly owning them through external parties. He is also suspected of inflating procurement costs for items such as 21,000 electric motorbikes, 32,000 pairs of shoes, and thousands of televisions.

The government had allocated at least US$15 billion to the ambitious scheme, which aimed to feed nearly one-third of Indonesia’s population, including 82.9 million children and mothers. However, concerns over fiscal strain and the programme’s mismanagement have grown, especially after raids on the agency’s headquarters and the homes of the accused.

President Prabowo has acknowledged the problems and pledged accountability, while officials assured that the nutrition programme will continue despite the ongoing investigation