Nadiem Makarim's First Appeal Hearing in Chromebook Case Held Today

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim is scheduled to undergo his first appeal hearing in the Chromebook procurement case at the DKI Jakarta High Court on Wednesday, 5 August 2026. Nadiem’s advocate, Zaid Mushafi, stated that in the submitted appeal memorandum, his party criticised various judicial considerations raised in the ruling of the Chromebook case that implicated his client. “In our appeal request, we are asking the high court panel of judges to retry the case, to reopen the facts that became the considerations of the judges at the first level,” Zaid said after submitting the appeal memorandum. He revealed one of the contested judicial considerations concerned the granting of a power of attorney for the management of Nadiem’s shares in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB) and PT Gojek Indonesia to another party. Not only Nadiem, but the Attorney General’s Office also decided to file an appeal against the Corruption Court’s verdict, which sentenced Nadiem to 10 years in prison in the Chromebook procurement corruption case. One of the matters the Attorney General’s Office will consider in its appeal memorandum is the house arrest status currently being served by Nadiem. In the alleged corruption case involving the education digitalisation programme, specifically the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the years 2019-2022, Nadiem was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being proven guilty of corruption. In addition to the prison sentence, he was also fined Rp1 billion, subsidiary to 190 days’ imprisonment, and ordered to pay restitution of Rp809.59 billion, subsidiary to 5 years’ imprisonment. The restitution was imposed on Nadiem after it was proven he received Rp809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia. The majority of PT AKAB’s funds came from a Google investment worth 786.99 million US dollars. In this case, Nadiem was proven to have abused his authority, causing state financial losses amounting to Rp1.56 trillion. The corruption was carried out, among other methods, by implementing the procurement of information and communication technology-based learning facilities in the form of Chromebook laptops and CDM for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years, which did not comply with procurement planning and principles.