Nadiem Makarim's Plea: Denies Chromebook Corruption and Claims Budget Savings
The former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, has asserted his innocence in the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM). During the reading of his plea at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (2/6), Nadiem stated that none of the criminal elements alleged by the prosecutors were proven.
Nadiem stated that based on expert testimony and factual witnesses presented during the trial, no elements of state loss, unlawful acts, or criminal intent (mens rea) were found. On the contrary, he claimed that the policy of using Chrome OS within his ministry had resulted in significant savings for the state budget.
“I am being sentenced to 27.5 years in prison for a policy that has saved trillions of state funds. This policy actually saved the budget by up to Rp3.9 trillion,” Nadiem told the panel of judges.
In his defence note, Nadiem denied direct involvement in the technical aspects of the procurement. He stated that he never signed procurement documents or determined purchase prices. According to him, his involvement was limited to attending a single virtual meeting in May 2020 to listen to a presentation by the technical team regarding operating system options for the devices.
“Under administrative state law, this was not a ministerial decision,” he emphasised.
Nadiem also refuted the narrative regarding unused or abandoned devices. He presented data showing that 85% of the Chromebooks purchased since 2020 are still operational and in use in schools through to 2025. He argued that this proves the investigation has been flawed from the outset.
In addition to his legal arguments, Nadiem touched upon the psychological burden of his nine-month detention, describing the mental pressure experienced in prison as a “prison within the head.”
Previously, the Public Prosecutor sought an 18-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp1 billion for Nadiem Makarim, along with a total restitution payment of Rp5.6 trillion. Responding to these demands, Nadiem stated he is prepared to face the court’s verdict with the confidence that he is in the right.
Nadiem Makarim is embroiled in an alleged corruption case concerning the education digitalisation programme related to the procurement of Chromebooks and CDM for the 2020-2022 fiscal years. The trial will continue with the reading of the verdict by the panel of judges at a scheduled later date.