Nadiem Claims Chromebook Project Saved Rp 3.9 Trillion, Prosecutors Express Doubt

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, has claimed that the procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM) saved state expenditure by at least Rp 3.9 trillion. Prosecutors at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court have expressed confusion regarding this claim.

“We are still questioning why Nadiem would make such a statement. What expenditure of Rp 3.9 trillion was saved? In fact, trial facts show that the price of Windows was Rp 6 million, and the price of Chromebooks was also Rp 6 million,” stated prosecutor Aditya Rachman Rosadi during the hearing on Tuesday (2/6/2026).

Prosecutors asserted that the state actually suffered losses in the Chromebook procurement. They cited the expertise of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) in calculating state losses in various corruption cases to support their stance.

Prosecutors also alleged that there was price manipulation involved in the procurement. Prosecutor Dery Gusman stated that there was evidence of price inflation, noting that while certain items could be purchased online with specific high-end specifications, the procurement version offered lower specifications at the same price of Rp 5 to 6 million.

Prosecutor Parade Hutasoit added that they did not see malicious intent from Google in this procurement, but rather focused on Nadiem’s alleged role. “We must look at who had the intent here, which is Mr Nadiem himself… we do not see malicious intent from Google, but rather it lies with Nadiem, both in his capacity with Gojek and GOTO as a minister,” he said.

Prosecutors dismissed claims that the prosecution is politically motivated, stating that the case is strictly based on legal facts and evidence presented during the trial.

In his defence (pleidoi), Nadiem Makarim maintained his innocence, arguing that the decision to use Chrome OS—which is free—saved the state significant funds. He argued that the case arose from an investigative error rather than unlawful actions or state losses. Nadiem further claimed that he never signed any documents regarding the Chromebook procurement and that the decision rested with the technical team. He also denied that his previous business interests with Google/Gojek influenced the procurement process, asserting that his decision to relinquish voting rights in GOTO was intended to avoid conflicts of interest.