Prabowo: Dadan Was Campaign Team Member I Handed Over to AGO - Tempo.co English
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto claims that he is indiscriminate in his fight against corruption. The Head of State used the handling of the corruption case in the management of the Free Nutritious Meal Project (MBG) as an example.
The case also implicated Dadan Hindayana, former Head of the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), who had also been a member of Prabowo's campaign team. For Prabowo, even those close to him are not above the law.
"I have proven it. Mr. Dadan is on my campaign team, my expert team. I appointed him as the Head of BGN. I also handed him over to the prosecutor," said Prabowo in the President Answers program broadcast on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, quoted from the press release of the Indonesian Government's Communications Bureau.
Prabowo also cited the seizure of the Sultan Hotel's assets as another example. PT Indobuildco manages the hotel. Pontjo Sutowo, the president director, is friends with Prabowo.
"How much have I handed over, and how many assets have we seized? The Sultan Hotel, wow, many lobbied me for that. Maybe Mr. Pontjo is considered a figure and indeed my friend. But I have no friends; this is the state," said Prabowo.
On that occasion, Prabowo also recounted his experience as Minister of Defense in 2019. He claimed he prohibited his associates from doing business with the Ministry of Defense to avoid a conflict of interest.
"When I became Minister of Defense, on the first day, I gathered all my family and all my close people in Gerindra (party). I said, I will be the Minister of Defense starting tomorrow, none of you are allowed to seek business in the Ministry of Defense," he said.
Prabowo did the same after serving as President. He claimed that when elected, he warned Gerindra members to be cautious. "Just because I am President, if you are wrong, I cannot protect you. I tell you upfront. And you can see how many regents from Gerindra were arrested, how many mayors, and so on," said the Gerindra Party chair.
Prabowo emphasized that he will prioritize the people’s interest above all else. "To govern, we must be prudent, we must be wise. In the end, national interests, the interests of the people must come first," he said.
