Public prosecutors have formally declared that former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, is legally and convincingly proven to have committed unlawful acts in the corruption case surrounding the procurement of Chromebook laptops from 2019 to 2022. This conclusion was reached following a thorough examination of three key pieces of evidence presented in court.
Specifically, the prosecution alleges that the unlawful acts involved an abuse of authority in the drafting of two ministerial regulations: Ministry of Education and Culture Regulation Number 5 of 2021 and Number 3 of 2022. These regulations governed the operational guidelines for the Physical Special Allocation Fund for education during the 2021-2022 period.
During the hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday (May 13), the prosecutor stated, “Based on these decisions, the defendant enriched himself by Rp 809 billion and Rp 4.87 trillion, resulting in state losses amounting to Rp 1.56 trillion.”
The prosecution highlighted three primary pieces of evidence to substantiate these charges: documentation from a meeting held on May 27, 2020; digital communications between Jurist Tan and Fiona Handayani; and digital chat logs from the “Mas Menteri Core” WhatsApp group. According to the prosecution, the total state loss is estimated at approximately Rp 2.1 trillion. This figure includes the findings of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), which identified that the procurement of “Chrome Device Management” (CDM) cost US$ 44.05 million, or roughly Rp 621.38 billion.
The prosecution further argued that the CDM procurement was not based on a legitimate identification of primary educational needs. Consequently, the program generated unnecessary expenditures and ultimately proved ineffective and useless in the field. Investigators believe the issuance of the aforementioned regulations stemmed from Nadiem’s manipulation of his subordinates during a digital meeting on May 6, 2020. Prosecutors contend that this meeting pressured the entire ministry to prioritize Chromebook laptops and integrate CDM into the procurement program.
“The defendant stated, ‘go ahead with Chromebook’ during the meeting. Witness Hamid confirmed that the meeting followed the Minister’s directive to shift the platform from Windows to Chrome,” the prosecutor explained.
In light of these findings, the prosecution has demanded an 18-year prison sentence for Nadiem Makarim. The state maintains that he is guilty of corruption regarding the Chromebook procurement project and the misuse of CDM funds between 2019 and 2022.
“We request that the court sentence Nadiem Anwar Makarim to 18 years in prison, minus time served, with an order that the defendant be detained immediately,” declared prosecutor Roy Riady during the sentencing hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court.
Summary
Public prosecutors have formally accused former Minister Nadiem Makarim of corruption regarding the procurement of Chromebook laptops between 2019 and 2022. The prosecution argues that he abused his authority by manipulating ministerial regulations to prioritize these devices, ultimately resulting in estimated state losses of approximately Rp 2.1 trillion. Key evidence presented includes meeting documentation, digital communications between specific associates, and chat logs from a private ministry group.
Investigations revealed that the program was ineffective and lacked a legitimate educational basis, with significant funds misused for unnecessary Chrome Device Management software. Consequently, prosecutors have requested an 18-year prison sentence for the former minister. The case centers on his alleged pressure on subordinates to bypass standard procedures and force the platform shift.
