April 23, 2025 | 08:03 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has pledged that authorities will investigate allegations of misappropriation involving the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program funds at a partner kitchen in Kalibata, South Jakarta. His statement followed reports that a Kalibata-based kitchen operator filed a police report accusing the MBG foundation of embezzling Rp975 million.
"It will be handled. We will safeguard every cent of public money," the President said at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 22. He emphasized that the allegations would be thoroughly reviewed.
The South Jakarta Metropolitan Police recently questioned Ira Mesra, owner of a partner kitchen for the MBG project under the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in Kalibata. Her questioning followed a police report filed about a week earlier.
According to Tempo's observations, the examination began at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 18, and lasted until around 7:25 p.m. Ira offered limited comment due to fatigue. "I have submitted all the evidence to investigators," she said after the session at the South Jakarta Police headquarters.
Investigators asked Ira 28 questions, while her attorney, Danna Harly Putra, answered 21. "The questions mainly focused on the timeline and discrepancies between the contract and the actual implementation," Harly told reporters.
On April 10, 2025, Ira, through her legal counsel, filed a police report against the MBG program partner, Yayasan Media Berkat Nusantara (MBN), for failing to make any payments since the kitchen began operations in February 2025. She claimed to have incurred Rp975 million in losses due to unpaid MBG meal portions.
"We filed the report under Articles 372 and 378 of the Criminal Code, regarding fraud and embezzlement," Harly said. Tempo has attempted to contact MBN representatives, but they have not responded as of publication.
Separately, Dadan Hindayana, head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), said the dispute between Ira and MBN was an internal matter. He said he had only recently learned that the kitchen and the foundation were two separate entities, as typically, BGN partners with a single entity that owns the facility and runs the foundation. "It turns out the foundation subcontracted the MBG project to Ira," he explained.
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