Indonesian authorities on Wednesday arrested the former head of the country's free school meals program, which has been plagued by mass food poisonings and corruption allegations, a day after he was dismissed.
Program Background
The billion-dollar feeding initiative, a flagship policy of President Prabowo Subianto's 2024 election campaign, has been under intense scrutiny. Dadan Hindayana, an entomologist who led the National Nutrition Agency since its establishment in August 2024, along with two deputies, were fired on Tuesday.
Arrests and Allegations
All three were taken into custody in Jakarta on Wednesday. They face charges of "crimes in the management" of the program, according to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi of the attorney general's office. Authorities had previously raided the nutrition agency's office and the homes of the three defendants.
The government claims the program has provided meals to over 61 million people by March. However, tens of thousands have fallen ill since its rollout in January last year. Critics have called for the suspension of the scheme due to hygiene concerns and corruption accusations.
Corruption Complaint
Last month, the anti-graft watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch filed a complaint against Dadan over alleged budget irregularities. Syarief stated on Wednesday that foundations appointed by the three defendants to oversee kitchens were allegedly "used as vehicles for crimes."
