The Indonesian president, Prabowo Subianto, has sacked the head of his flagship free school meals programme following a series of poisonings that have left dozens of children hospitalised. Sources confirm that the dismissed official, a former military logistics officer, was responsible for procurement and supply chains. The move comes as investigators probe whether contaminated cooking oil or improperly stored ingredients caused the outbreaks in at least three provinces.
Documents uncovered by this newsroom reveal that the school feeding initiative, which aims to provide nutritious lunches to 20 million children, has received substantial backing from the UK government. Through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, British taxpayers have contributed £15 million over two years to technical assistance and monitoring systems. Yet whistleblowers within the programme claim that oversight was lax: food safety inspections were outsourced to a private firm with ties to the fired chief, and reports of substandard ingredients were allegedly buried.
One source, a former inspector who asked not to be named, told me: 'We flagged rancid oil and mouldy rice months ago. The complaints never reached the president. People were more worried about meeting meal quotas than keeping kids safe.'
A spokesperson for the FCDO issued a brief statement: 'We are deeply concerned by reports of illness among Indonesian children. Our support includes rigorous standards, and we are urgently reviewing our partnership.' But human rights groups are calling for a full independent investigation. 'This is not just a local failure,' said Dr Hana Wibowo of the Jakarta-based Accountability Project. 'British tax pounds are part of this chain. They need to answer for how their money was spent.'
Prabowo, who made the free meals programme a cornerstone of his 2024 election campaign, has distanced himself from the scandal. In a televised address, he said: 'I will not tolerate negligence that endangers our children. Those responsible will face the full force of the law.' But critics note that the fired chief was a loyalist from the president's own party, and questions remain about whether the crackdown will reach higher.
As of today, hospitals in Sumatra and Java are treating 47 children for symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and liver damage. Lab results are pending, but preliminary tests point to aflatoxin poisoning from contaminated peanuts. The British government has yet to announce a suspension of funding. Meanwhile, parents are keeping their children home. 'What is the point of a free meal if it makes them sick?' asked one mother in Lampung. 'We want answers, not empty promises.'
