Nadiem Makarim Claims Chromebook Case is Full of Irregularities and Illogical

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, has assessed the alleged corruption case regarding Chromebook procurement at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) as being full of irregularities and illogical from an objective legal perspective.

Nadiem made these remarks following the reading of his defence plea (pledoi) at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (2/6/2026). He noted that the case has garnered significant public attention because the evidence is accessible and the trial proceedings are open to the public.

He stated that many experts from various fields, including procurement, laptop technology, auditing, and law, have conducted independent analyses of the case. Nadiem argued that the indictment against him lacks a strong foundation and instead points towards an attempt at criminalisation.

“If this case is viewed from my perspective as a suspect, it makes no sense. However, if viewed from the perspective of oppression, it makes perfect sense,” he said.

He also refuted various allegations that emerged during the early stages of the investigation, including claims regarding WhatsApp groups and allegations that the Chromebooks were abandoned and unused. “There was no such discussion, and there are no abandoned Chromebooks,” he asserted.

According to Nadiem, the construction of state losses in this case has continuously changed throughout the trial. Initially, the loss was stated to reach Rp9 trillion based on the assumption that all laptops could not be utilised. However, after data emerged showing that the devices are indeed being used, the narrative shifted to allegations of inflated pricing.

“It turns out the laptops were purchased below market price. There is no overpricing. So, how can a loss be created? It requires a very creative method—a recalculation method,” N/adiem said.

He accused the audit of state losses used in the indictment of being prepared using non-transparent methods. Furthermore, Nadiem questioned several processes in the trial, including the failure to summon witnesses from Google and the refusal to disclose state loss audit documents to his defence.

Nadiem also highlighted the prosecutor’s objection to a vendor attempting to disclose real procurement cost data during the trial. He argued that such data is essential to prove whether or not there was any overpricing.

In his statement, Nadiem warned of the wider implications if he is found guilty. He believes a guilty verdict would set a precedent that all government laptop procurements could be deemed as causing state losses using the same auditing method. Additionally, he noted that holding shares in public companies, such as GoTo, could potentially criminalise other state officials who hold similar shares if any procurement involves those companies.

“If I am found guilty, it means every official who owns shares in a public company could be prosecuted if there is procurement related to that company,” he said.

Nadiem emphasised that he chose procurement options that he believed were more cost-effective for the state. “If I am found guilty, it means I will be the first person prosecuted for saving trillions in the budget,” he added.

The trial regarding the alleged Chromebook procurement corruption is scheduled to continue on Tuesday, 9 June 2026, with the agenda of the prosecutor’s response to the defendant’s plea.