JAKARTA — Indonesian investigators from the Attorney General’s Office searched the National Nutrition Agency’s offices in Jakarta on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The search occurred one day after President Prabowo Subianto fired the agency’s head, Dadan Hindayana, and appointed Nanik S. Deyang—previously the deputy chief—as his replacement.
During the search, investigators locked out employees from the National Nutrition Agency’s office building. Mochamad Jeffry, acting spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, said, “We are still in the process of searching at the National Nutrition Agency.” Jeffry did not disclose what case was being investigated, and it remains unclear whether the search is connected to a criminal investigation.
The National Nutrition Agency oversees Indonesia’s free meals program, which aims to provide food to nearly 90 million children and pregnant women to combat malnutrition. The program is projected to cost $28 billion through 2029. Critics have questioned whether the program is affordable and logistically feasible in Indonesia, a country with over 282 million people spread across a vast archipelago. Reports of food poisoning among schoolchildren who consumed the meals have also raised concerns, alongside criticism of the program’s high costs.
President Prabowo Subianto launched the free meals initiative to fulfill a campaign promise and support farmers by purchasing their harvests. Following the leadership change and search, Minister of the State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi addressed governance issues within the agency. “Some issues relate to discipline in following standard operating procedures, while others relate to discipline in implementing governance, including discipline in maintaining food quality as stipulated by the National Nutrition Agency,” Hadi said. He added, “Services to the public must not be disrupted in any way.”