Nadiem Makarim and Legal Team Claim Trial Facts Ignored, Allege Criminalisation

The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court handed down a verdict against Nadiem Makarim in the Chromebook case on Tuesday (30/6). The ruling drew a sharp reaction from Makarim and his legal team, who believe the judges ignored the facts presented during the trial. In its decision, the court sentenced Makarim to 10 years in prison for the alleged corruption of a digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology between 2019 and 2022. He was also fined Rp1 billion, with a subsidiary of 190 days in custody, and an additional penalty requiring him to pay Rp809 billion in compensation, with a subsidiary of five years’ imprisonment. Responding to the ruling, Makarim stated he had effectively been sentenced to 15 years because of the compensation order for money he never possessed. After the trial, Makarim asserted that all court facts had been ignored. He highlighted that the four judges who found him guilty could not look him in the eye. ‘Today, we ask a very big question of our legal system. We ask whether truth and justice still have meaning. And today, it is answered! All the facts of the trial were ignored. I was sentenced to 10 years plus 5 years, making it 15 years. I was sentenced based on facts that are completely nonsensical. I listened to the judges speak, but the four judges who convicted me could not look me directly in the eye because I know what is in their hearts. They know I am not guilty!’ he declared. Makarim expressed appreciation for the courage of one judge, Andi Saputra, who issued a dissenting opinion, stating the trial facts showed Makarim should be acquitted unconditionally. Regarding the Rp809 billion compensation, Makarim denied the accusation, stating the money never touched him and that his end-of-term wealth report showed he did not possess such an amount. He added that documents and witnesses proved the funds never left the account of PT AKAB (GoTo) and had no connection to Google or the Chromebook case. Makarim also thanked his wife, family, legal team, online motorcycle taxi drivers across Indonesia, teachers, community leaders, and legal experts for their support, confirming he would immediately appeal. His legal counsel, Dodi S. Abdulkadir, expressed deep dissatisfaction, claiming evidence for the defence was deliberately ignored. He stated that if the evidence had been considered, there would be no guilty verdict, and announced plans to pursue legal action for obstruction of justice. Another lawyer, Ari Yusuf Amir, warned the verdict sets a bad precedent for private-sector figures appointed as ministers, adding that the team would report the judges to the Judicial Commission and other law enforcement bodies.