Judge States Ibam in Ministry of Education Became Engineer Leader to Represent Nadiem

The judge member Sunoto stated this while reading out the verdict for Ibam at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (12/5/2026). Initially, the judge said that Nadiem created the Wartek Technology Team group on 20 November 2019. The judge said the group then changed to Kemendikbud Wartek. The judge said that in the group, Ibam was recruited by Nadiem as an engineer leader with a salary of Rp 163 million per month. “And in that group, the defendant Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam was recruited as an engineer leader with an honorarium of Rp 163 million net per month, with the aim of representing witness Nadiem Makarim if there is rejection from the ministry’s team,” said the judge. The judge opined that from the beginning, Ibam was not a neutral and independent external consultant. The judge stated that Nadiem placed Ibam in the ministry’s decision-making structure. “Thus, from the beginning, the defendant’s position was not that of a neutral and independent external consultant, but rather an engineer leader placed organically in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s decision-making structure,” said the judge. The judge said Ibam had de facto authority equivalent to the formal authority of public officials in the Ministry. The judge said Ibam carried out the minister’s wishes through special staff. “And because the defendant in that framework is an engineer leader who carries out the minister’s wishes through the minister’s special staff, the defendant functionally has de facto authority equivalent to the formal authority of public officials in the Ministry,” said the judge. It is known that Ibam was sentenced to four years in prison. The judge stated that Ibam was guilty in the alleged corruption case of Chromebook and Chrome Device Management (CDM) procurement. Ibam was also sentenced to pay a fine of Rp 500 million. If the fine is not paid, it will be replaced with imprisonment for 120 days. This verdict is much lower than the prosecutors’ demand. Previously, Ibam was demanded 15 years in prison, a fine of Rp 1 billion subsidiary 190 days imprisonment. The prosecutors also demanded that Ibam pay restitution of Rp 16.92 billion subsidiary 7 years and 6 months imprisonment.