Judge: Nadiem Placed Special Staff in Positions Far Exceeding Their Authority
The panel of judges stated that former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim was proven to have placed special staff members Fiona Handayani and Jurist Tan in positions that far exceeded their authority. The judge said this was proven by the testimony of witnesses from within the Ministry of Education and Culture.
“Considering that from the series of testimonies of internal ministry witnesses, it has been sufficiently proven that the Defendant placed Saudara Jurist Tan as the minister’s special staff for governance and witness Fiona Handayani as the minister’s special staff for strategic issues in positions that far exceeded their normative authority,” said panel member Sunoto during the verdict reading for Nadiem at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (30/6/2026).
The judge stated that Jurist Tan, who is also a suspect in the alleged Chromebook procurement corruption case, was a central actor in leading meetings and determining decisions at the Ministry of Education and Culture. The judge said Jurist held power in the fields of governance, regulation, human resources, mutations, and promotions within the ministry.
“Saudara Jurist Tan, as the minister’s special staff, was involved as a central actor leading meetings and or determining personnel decisions according to the testimony of Mulyatsyah. Jurist Tan had power in the fields of governance, regulation, finance, and human resources, namely the transfer and promotion of Ministry of Education and Culture officials,” the judge stated.
The judge said the facts about Jurist’s power were conveyed by internal witnesses from the Ministry of Education and Culture during Nadiem’s era who were presented at the trial. The judge noted there was testimony about a statement handing over budget and human resources affairs to Jurist that was delivered directly by Nadiem.
“Which was confirmed by witness M Hasbi who stated he had directly heard the defendant’s statement, ‘I hand over all budget and HR affairs to Jurist Tan’,” the judge said.
Previously, Nadiem Makarim was found guilty in the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM). The judge sentenced Nadiem to imprisonment. “Declares the defendant Nadiem Anwar Makarim has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption jointly as charged in the subsidiary indictment,” said chief judge Purwanto S Abdullah while reading the verdict at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (30/6).
“Sentences the defendant Nadiem Anwar Makarim to 10 years in prison,” the judge added. The judge stated the primary indictment was not proven. The judge declared Nadiem guilty as per the subsidiary indictment, namely violating Article 604 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law in conjunction with Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code.
The judge also sentenced Nadiem to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion, with a subsidiary of 190 days of confinement, and restitution of Rp 809 billion. If Nadiem is unable to pay, his assets can be seized and auctioned. If the assets are insufficient, it will be replaced with 5 years of confinement.