Former BPK Chairman Appears as Expert Witness to Mitigate in Nadiem Chromebook Corruption Trial

The Chairman of the Financial Audit Board (BPK) for the 2019–2022 period, Agung Firman Sampurna, appeared as an expert witness for the defence in the trial of the alleged Chromebook corruption case implicating Nadiem Anwar Makarim as the defendant. Agung Firman stated that he knew Nadiem as the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology during his tenure as BPK Chairman. “However, I do not know him personally,” Agung said during the expert examination hearing at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday (6/5/2026). Agung explained that he currently works as a lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Postgraduate Programme, University of Indonesia. Agung Firman provided testimony as an expert in the trial of the alleged corruption case in the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2022. In that case, Nadiem, as Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2024, is charged with corruption causing a state financial loss of Rp 2.18 trillion. The corruption is alleged to have occurred, among other things, through the implementation of the procurement of information and communication technology-based learning facilities in the form of Chromebook laptops and CDM for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years, which was not in accordance with the procurement planning and principles of procurement. Nadiem’s actions are charged as being committed jointly with three other defendants in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently a fugitive. In detail, the state losses caused amount to Rp 1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, as well as US$44.05 million or equivalent to Rp 621.39 billion due to the procurement of unnecessary and unbeneficial CDM in the education digitalisation programme. Through these actions, Nadiem is alleged to have received money amounting to Rp 809.59 billion from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) via PT Gojek Indonesia. It is stated that most of the funds from PT AKAB originated from Google’s investment of US$786.99 million. This can be seen from Nadiem’s wealth recorded in the State Organiser’s Wealth Report (LHKPN) for 2022, which includes the acquisition of securities worth Rp 5.59 trillion. For his actions, Nadiem faces penalties under Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.