Nadiem Ill, Chromebook Case Hearing Postponed

The hearing in the alleged Chromebook corruption case at the Jakarta Corruption Court was postponed because the defendant, former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim, was ill and unable to attend the trial on Monday (27/4). In the hearing, the Public Prosecutor initially stated that they accepted a doctor’s certificate regarding Nadiem’s condition, which required treatment. Nadiem has been receiving care since 25 April and needs to undergo treatment until 3 May. “We would like to inform Your Honour that the defendant Nadiem Anwar Makarim has been hospitalised at Abdi Waluyo Hospital since Saturday, 25 April, up to now, and according to this doctor’s certificate, observation and inpatient care are required until 3 May 2026, with permission, Your Honour,” said the prosecutor at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta. The agenda for today’s hearing was the examination of mitigating witnesses from Nadiem and his legal team. Nadiem’s legal team then submitted a request for the panel to approve the transfer of Nadiem’s detention. The legal team also requested that the examination of mitigating witnesses and experts proceed even though Nadiem was not present at the trial. “Today we have prepared three experts who are present in this hearing and one factual witness. But we leave it to the Panel and our colleagues from the Public Prosecutors on which ones we can present, because all four are ready in this hearing,” said Nadiem’s lawyer. The prosecutors stated they had no objection to continuing the hearing with the examination of expert witnesses. However, the prosecutors requested that the examination of factual witnesses still require Nadiem’s presence. After a brief recess, the judge decided to postpone the hearing. The hearing will resume on 4 May. “Postponing this examination until the defendant is healthy, as stated in the doctor’s recommendation for 9 days of rest,” said the judge. Nadiem is charged with corruption that harmed the state finances by Rp2.18 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme in the form of the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2022. 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 principles of procurement. The act was carried out jointly with other defendants in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan who is currently still at large. In detail, the state losses include Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, as well as US$44.05 million or equivalent to Rp621.39 billion due to the procurement of unnecessary and unbeneficial CDM. With that act, Nadiem is alleged to have received money amounting to Rp809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia. It is stated that most of the source of funds for PT AKAB came from Google’s investment worth US$786.99 million. This can be seen from Nadiem’s wealth recorded in the State Organiser’s Wealth Report (LHKPN) for 2022, which includes the acquisition of securities worth Rp5.59 trillion. For his actions, the former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2024 faces punishment as regulated in Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Corruption Eradication Law (UU Tipikor) in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.