HOLOPIS.COM, JAKARTA – Hari Purwanto, Executive Director of the People’s Democracy Studies (SDR), said President Prabowo Subianto’s philosophy that “a rotten fish starts from the head” has once again become relevant amid a number of corruption cases involving current and former officials at strategic state institutions.
According to Hari, the series of cases is testing the Prabowo-Gibran administration’s commitment to its anti-corruption agenda, while also testing the integrity of state institutions that play an important role in implementing government programs.
Hari made the remarks during a discussion titled “The Dynamics of Corruption Cases Ahead of Two Years of the Prabowo-Gibran Administration,” as quoted on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.
Hari said corruption should not be viewed solely in terms of prosecuting individuals. When legal cases involve officials or strategic institutions, evaluations should also focus on oversight systems, governance, and prevention mechanisms within those institutions.
“The issue is not only about prosecuting individuals, but also concerns the integrity of state institutions that hold important positions in carrying out the government’s agenda,” Hari said, Holopis.com reported, Sunday (20/9).
Fighting Corruption
Hari said the issue becomes increasingly serious when alleged corruption emerges from institutions with strategic mandates, including those connected to law enforcement agencies.
He described the situation as “fighting corruption while committing corruption.”
“This is a troubling phenomenon, fighting corruption while committing corruption,” Hari said.
According to him, cases involving law enforcement officials have broader implications because they can undermine public trust in institutions that are supposed to be at the forefront of the fight against corruption.
“When law enforcement officials who are supposed to fight corruption are instead caught up in corruption cases, this becomes a serious issue that cannot be treated as ordinary,” he said.
BGN and MBG Governance Challenges
One of the institutions drawing SDR’s attention is the National Nutrition Agency (BGN), which is responsible for implementing the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, one of the priorities of the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
Hari said any legal problems emerging within the agency should serve as an opportunity to evaluate the program’s oversight and governance systems.
“BGN is an institution established to carry out a strategic government program. When legal issues subsequently arise within it, they must certainly become the subject of serious evaluation,” he said.
He said oversight of strategic institutions needs to be strengthened from the planning stage through program implementation, procurement, and budget accountability.
“Prevention should therefore not rely solely on enforcement after a case has already occurred,” he said.
Febrie Adriansyah Case Also Under Scrutiny
In addition to BGN, Hari also highlighted a case that he said involved former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah.
