Court Finds Nadiem's Special Staff Overstepped Authority in Laptop Procurement Case

The Jakarta Corruption Court has ruled that two special staff members of former Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister Nadiem Makarim overstepped their authority in a case concerning the procurement of Chromebook laptops. Judge Sunoto stated that the placement of Jurist Tan and Fiona Handayani in positions that exceeded their normative authority was not a coincidence. ‘Considering that the placement of the minister’s special staff in positions that exceeded this authority was not a coincidence but was designed systematically before the defendant was inaugurated as minister,’ he said during the hearing on Tuesday, 30 June 2026. The panel of judges noted that, according to regulations on the organisation of state ministries, special staff are only tasked with providing advice and considerations to the minister according to their field. However, the two special staff members were given a much wider scope of action. The court also criticised the appointment of Ibrahim Arief, a technology consultant, who was given a very substantial role in formulating the technical study for the procurement of information and communication technology equipment despite not being a civil servant.