Attorney General's Office Rejects Nadiem's Statement, Clarifies Prosecutors Accompany Rather Than Supervise in Chromebook Case
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Attorney General’s Office has refuted former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim’s statement regarding the involvement of prosecutors in supervising the Chromebook procurement process.
“Prosecutors in the Datun (Civil and State Administrative Law) Division do not conduct monitoring or supervision of activities, so it is clear that the defendant has misunderstood the role of prosecutors or the prosecutor’s office that provides legal support in the field of civil law and state administrative law,” said Director of Prosecution at the Attorney General’s Office, Riono Budisantoso, when confirmed by Kompas.com on Monday (30/3/2026).
Riono stated that prosecutors in the Datun division are not involved in criminal law aspects in carrying out their duties. Meanwhile, the prosecutor’s office was involved in the Chromebook procurement to provide legal support, not supervision.
“So in legal support, Datun Division Prosecutors act as legal consultants for the supported party, where the advice and opinions given are not binding for the supported party to follow,” said Riono.
The provision of opinions does not have legal consequences for the Datun Division prosecutors assigned to provide support.
“It must be understood that Datun Division Prosecutors do not have the capacity to be involved in the procurement process,” added Riono.
He explained that Datun division prosecutors can only provide opinions based on data and information provided by the ministry or the party requesting support.
“Thus, the scope of advice or opinions from Datun prosecutors is limited to the available data or information,” said Riono.
During a court break, Nadiem provided statements to the media. He mentioned the involvement of prosecutors to supervise the Chromebook procurement.
“This is a procurement where we invited the prosecutor’s office to monitor and supervise from beginning to end. Even in the room where the PPK (Commitment Making Official) clicks on the procurement, there is a prosecutor to accompany,” said Nadiem during a break in the trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, on Monday (30/3/2026).
“I was not involved in that process, but the prosecutor’s office supervised,” added Nadiem.
He questioned being now detained by the prosecutor’s office, the party he previously involved in the Chromebook procurement.
In this case, former Minister of Education Nadiem Makarim along with three other defendants are said to have caused a state financial loss of Rp 2.1 trillion.