Nadiem Makarim Fails to Attend Chromebook Trial Due to Illness
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Nadiem Anwar Makarim’s lawyer, Ari Yusuf Amir, stated that his client could not attend the trial in the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebooks at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court due to illness.
“Today Nadiem is ill and unable to go to the trial; his body is extremely weak,” Ari told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The Chromebook corruption trial today was scheduled for the examination of defence witnesses or experts (a de charge).
Ari explained that Nadiem had actually been ill since Monday afternoon (4/5) and had collapsed in the waiting room at the Central Jakarta District Court detention area.
However, after the trial, the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2019–2024 period was not immediately taken to hospital following the session.
“After waiting several hours after the trial, it was only in the evening that he was taken to hospital. There was no firmness from the panel of judges regarding this condition,” he said.
Nevertheless, Ari stated that his client is currently in hospital.
Nadiem is the defendant in the alleged corruption case of the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2022.
In that case, he is charged with corruption that harms the state finances by Rp2.18 trillion.
Nadiem’s actions are alleged to have been carried out jointly with three other defendants in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently a fugitive.
In detail, the state losses caused amount to 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 in the education digitalisation programme.
Through these actions, Nadiem is alleged to have received Rp809.59 billion from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) via PT Gojek Indonesia.
It is stated that most of the funds from PT AKAB originated from Google’s investment of US$786.99 million.
For his actions, Nadiem faces imprisonment as stipulated in Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.