Nadiem Admits to Feeling Fearful After Hearing BPKP Auditor's Testimony: What's Going On?
Jakarta - Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim admitted to feeling afraid after hearing the opinion of an auditor from the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), who also serves as the Head of the State Loss Calculation Team for the Chromebook Case, Dedy Nurmawan Susilo.
“Yes, that’s what made me afraid and aware: what’s this? What’s going on?” Nadiem said when met during a break in the trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, on Monday (13/4/2026).
“Why didn’t BPKP use market prices to compare the purchase price with the fair price? Why? I don’t know the answer to that, but in my view, if compared to market prices, there would be no loss,” he stated.
Nadiem said that the irregularities highlighted by the BPKP auditor related to the duties and functions of procurement officials, one of which is the commitment-making official (PPK), not the minister’s responsibility.
“Meanwhile, the expert witness from BPKP also stated that all the matters or irregularities he observed were entirely in the domain of the PPK, LKPP, and those parties; there is no connection to the Minister or others. So there is no causality either,” Nadiem added.
Nadiem raised the issue of the difference in state loss figures: Rp 2.1 trillion from the Public Prosecutors (JPU) compared to Rp 1.5 trillion from the BPKP audit.
“He said the Chromebook price is already included in his Rp 1.5 trillion loss. But the state loss in the indictment is Rp 2.1 trillion. So, there might be a mistake in that aspect,” Nadiem said.
Thus, the ministry’s procurement of Chromebooks at Rp 5.6 million was not overpriced.
“So, the purchase price of Rp 5.6 million is already below the market average price. Therefore, there was a saving, not a loss,” Nadiem reiterated.
In this case, former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim, along with three other defendants, is accused of causing state financial losses amounting to Rp 2.1 trillion.
Nadiem is charged with enriching himself by Rp 809 billion. This figure is said to stem from Google’s investment in Gojek or PT AKAB.
Meanwhile, Mulyatsyah is alleged to have received SGD 120,000 and USD 150,000.
Nadiem is accused of misusing his authority, making Google the sole controller of IT procurement, including laptops, in Indonesia’s technology ecosystem.
Nadiem committed this act together with three other defendants: former Technology Consultant in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Ibrahim Arief; Director of SMP in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2020–2021 and Budget User Representative (KPA), Mulyatsyah; and Director of SD in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2020–2021 and KPA, Sri Wahyuningsih.
For their actions, Nadiem and the other defendants face charges under Article 2 Paragraph (1) and Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes, in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.