Central Jakarta Court Explains Judge's Decision to Immediately Close Nadiem Makarim's Sentencing Hearing

The Central Jakarta District Court has explained the panel of judges’ decision to immediately close the trial after sentencing former Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim to 10 years in prison, without first asking for his response to the verdict. Court spokesperson M Firman Akbar stated that in judicial practice, it is not problematic if the defendant’s legal stance is not directly queried, as their rights to accept the verdict, request time to consider, or file an appeal remain protected within the statutory period. The sentencing hearing for the Chromebook and Chrome Device Management procurement corruption case was presided over by Chief Judge Purwanto S Abdullah, with members Sunoto, Mardiantos, and Andi Saputra. Nadiem’s legal team had objected to the abrupt closure of the session. The 10-year sentence, along with a Rp 1 billion fine and an order to pay Rp 809 billion in restitution, was significantly lower than the prosecution’s demand of 18 years’ imprisonment and a total restitution of Rp 5.6 trillion.