Moment When Nadiem Attends Chromebook Case Hearing with IV Drip Still Attached to Hand

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Makarim resumed the trial for the alleged Chromebook corruption case at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday, 4 May 2026. Unlike usual, Nadiem attended the proceedings with an IV drip still attached to his hand. During the trial, he admitted to still being under hospital care in preparation for surgery for an illness he is suffering from, scheduled in the near future. “Although the doctor did not recommend that I leave, but due to the needs of the trial and I am not allowed to attend via Zoom, so I am here to ensure the trial process is not delayed,” Nadiem said, as quoted by ANTARA. Nevertheless, Nadiem explained that his treating doctor advised him to return to the hospital immediately after the trial to resume his treatment. Therefore, Nadiem hopes that the Panel of Judges will allow him to join the next trial via the Zoom platform. In response, Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah said he would first assess Nadiem’s condition after the operation. If Nadiem’s detention status is suspended post-operation as before, the Panel of Judges cannot conduct the examination trial, even via Zoom. “So the panel’s stance remains. If the defendant’s status is suspended, we will not conduct the examination even via Zoom,” said the Chief Judge. Previously, Nadiem’s examination trial was postponed twice because the former Mendikbudristek was ill and hospitalised. During those postponements, Nadiem’s detention status was suspended from Saturday (25/4) to Sunday (3/5). In the alleged corruption case of the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the years 2019-2022, Nadiem is charged with corruption that harms the state finances by Rp2.18 trillion. The corruption is alleged to have been committed, among others, by carrying out 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 not in accordance with the procurement planning and procurement principles. Nadiem’s actions are charged to have been 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.