Nadiem Makarim Arrives at Courtroom to Testify in Chromebook Procurement Corruption Case

JAKARTA — Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Makarim appeared as a witness at a court hearing on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, in a corruption case involving alleged irregular Chromebook procurement. The defendant is former technology consultant Ibrahim Arief and others.

Based on observations at the courthouse, Nadiem arrived at the courtroom at approximately 10.31 Western Indonesian Time. At that point, the hearing had not yet commenced, and Nadiem was seated in the gallery, accompanied by his mother, Atika Algadrie, and his wife, Franka Franklin. Wearing a dark blue batik shirt with leaf motifs, Nadiem engaged in quiet conversation with his family.

Today, Nadiem, along with former Special Staff to the Minister Fiona Handayani, will be examined in the case against Ibrahim Arief and two other defendants: Mulyatsyah, Director of the Junior Secondary Education Directorate (SMP) at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2020–2021 and Budget User Authority (KPA); and Sri Wahyuningsih, Director of the Primary Education Directorate (SD) at the Ministry from 2020–2021 and Budget User Authority.

Makarim is accused of self-enrichment totalling IDR 809 billion, a figure allegedly originating from Google’s investment into Gojek or PT AKAB. According to the charges, Makarim abused his authority to make Google the sole supplier of information technology procurement, including laptops, within Indonesia’s technology ecosystem. This was accomplished by directing procurement studies towards a single product: Chrome-based devices, a Google product.

Makarim is alleged to have carried out these actions alongside three other defendants: former technology consultant at the Ministry Ibrahim Arief; Mulyatsyah, Director of the Junior Secondary Education Directorate and Budget User Authority from 2020–2021; and Sri Wahyuningsih, Director of the Primary Education Directorate and Budget User Authority from 2020–2021.

For these alleged actions, Makarim and the other defendants face charges under Articles 2(1) and 3, read in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 on Amendment to Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Offences, read in conjunction with Article 55(1) subsection 1 of the Criminal Code.