Indonesia’s National Nutrition Agency (Badan Gizi Nasional, or BGN) has responded to growing public scrutiny over a government procurement package worth more than Rp9 billion for bed sheets and pillowcases, after details of the expenditure circulated widely on social media.

The procurement, officially listed under a package referring to replacement bed sheets and pillowcases, was reportedly valued at Rp9.097 billion (about US$509,000). According to procurement information cited by Jawa Pos, the purchase was financed through the state budget and conducted using the government’s electronic catalogue system.

The unusually large value of the package triggered questions online over why an agency primarily responsible for implementing national nutrition programs needed to spend billions of rupiah on bedding supplies.

BGN spokesperson Tysa Novenny said the procurement did take place, but stressed that it belonged to the 2025 fiscal year and preceded the tenure of the agency’s current head, Sudaryono.

“It happened in 2025, under the previous head of the agency, not during Mr. Sudaryono’s leadership,” Tysa said in a statement published through BGN’s official social media account on Wednesday, September 30.

BGN’s clarification places the procurement under the agency’s previous leadership, when Dadan Hindayana served as its head.

Tysa also confirmed that the procurement was no longer merely an administrative issue, saying it had become part of an ongoing legal case.

“The bed sheets and pillowcases are currently among the materials in an ongoing legal case,” she said, urging the public to allow law enforcement authorities to carry out their investigation.

BGN did not provide a detailed breakdown in its September 30 statement explaining the number of bed sheets and pillowcases purchased, their unit prices, their intended locations, or the suppliers involved.

The controversy comes amid a broader investigation into alleged corruption in the management of BGN and the government’s flagship Free Nutritious Meals program, known as Makan Bergizi Gratis or MBG.

Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office has been investigating alleged irregularities involving BGN activities during the 2025–2026 period.

In June, investigators said the case involved two major areas: transactions related to locations for Nutrition Fulfillment Service Units, known as SPPGs, and the procurement of goods and services.

“There are two major clusters that we are currently investigating,” Attorney General’s Office investigation director Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi said at the time.

Authorities had already named several suspects in the wider investigation, including former senior BGN officials. Prosecutors have also said they were examining other procurement activities rather than limiting the investigation to goods already publicly identified.

The Attorney General’s Office previously disclosed alleged irregularities involving several types of procurement, while investigators continued examining whether other government purchases were affected by similar practices.

However, BGN’s latest statement did not specify whether the Rp9.097 billion bedding package itself has been determined by investigators to involve corruption. Its inclusion as material in an ongoing case therefore does not, by itself, establish criminal wrongdoing by any particular individual or supplier.

Tysa also urged social media users and members of the public to verify information before making accusations about government spending.

“Please cross-check whether the data and information are correct, so that it does not become slander,” she said.

The controversy nevertheless highlights growing public attention to how BGN manages state funds, particularly as the agency oversees one of Indonesia’s largest government social programs.

Questions surrounding the bedding procurement are likely to remain until authorities or BGN disclose further information on the quantity of goods purchased, pricing, suppliers, their intended use and how the package relates to the wider investigation.

For now, BGN says the procurement belongs to the previous administration and has asked the public to leave the legal process to investigators.