Nadiem Admits Not Signing Chromebook Specifications: Handled at Director-General Level

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim has admitted that he never signed anything related to the specifications for procuring Chromebook laptops. Nadiem stated that this was handled at the director-general level of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

Nadiem made this statement during the continuation of the trial regarding the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday (11/5/2026). Nadiem said that this practice had been in place since the era of previous ministers.

“Do you fully understand the policy for deciding on a programme in the education department, that it is entirely within your authority as minister?” asked the prosecutor.

“In the history of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, from previous ministers and even before that, ministers have never signed off on laptop or IT specifications. This has always been done at the director-general level or even at the director level,” Nadiem replied.

Furthermore, Nadiem explained that in 2020, there were decrees from the director-general and directors stating that changes to the specifications were the result of a technical team. Nadiem said there were no documents related to him or the appointment of the technical team that were signed by the minister.

“In 2020, where there were decrees from the director-general and decrees from directors mentioning that the specification changes were the result of the technical team, all of this was done below the director-general level,” Nadiem clarified.

“The minister does not sign, not only does the minister not sign the specification documentation, the minister also never signed the appointment of the technical team, the minister never signed studies, the minister did not sign anything related to the procurement by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Chromebook laptops during my tenure,” he added.

In this case, Nadiem is charged with corruption related to the procurement of Chromebook laptops while serving as Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The project is said to have caused state losses of Rp 2.1 trillion.

Besides Nadiem, there are three other defendants in this case. They are Sri Wahyuningsih, former Director of Primary Schools in the Directorate-General of Early Childhood Education, Basic Education, and Secondary Education in 2020-2021; Mulyatsyah, former Director of Junior High Schools in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology in 2020; and Ibrahim Arief (Ibam), a consultant for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology during Nadiem’s era.

Sri and Mulyatsyah have been found guilty. Sri was sentenced to 4 years in prison and Mulyatsyah to 4.5 years in prison.