Nadiem Makarim Nods After Hearing Chromebook Vendor Witnesses' Testimony at Trial

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim admitted to feeling disappointed and sad after listening to testimony from several witnesses from Chromebook laptop vendors or manufacturers presented at today7s hearing. When asked about the witnesses’ statements, Nadiem shook his head. ‘I am very disappointed today. And sad that it has come to this, this case,’ Nadiem said during a break in the session at the Jakarta Corruption Court, on Thursday (5 March 2026). Nadiem highlighted the witnesses’ explanations regarding the state financial loss figure of Rp 1.5 trillion for the Chromebook procurement listed in the indictment. ‘The Rp 1.5 T is the result of an audit by BPKP after I was detained. The audit that was rushed to issue… It turns out what was called there is the price difference between what the audit says the loss should be here, and the real price,’ he said. According to BPKP’s calculation, the fair price for one Chromebook unit is Rp 4.3 million. However, the witnesses present in today7s hearing, namely Acer Indonesia, Asus, Dell, Advan, and distributors, explained that their product prices are Rp 4.3 million or higher. In the hearing, Nadiem briefly asked the vendors, ‘So, I ask all the witnesses here, is the Rp 4.3 million figure reasonable according to the state loss audit?’ ‘They said it is not at all reasonable, impossible. Everyone loses. Distributors lose, resellers lose. It is impossible that Rp 4.3 million is a reasonable purchase price,’ he continued. In response to those statements, Nadiem admitted he was puzzled and disappointed because BPKP had performed an erroneous calculation. ‘Indeed, in this case it is becoming clearer day by day that there is no state loss, there is no overpriced laptop,’ he added. Nadiem Makarim is charged with causing state financial losses of Rp 2.1 trillion in the alleged Chromebook-based laptop procurement corruption case.