Nadiem optimistic of overturning 10-year Chromebook corruption sentence via appeal

Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, has stated he is optimistic about being acquitted of the Chromebook case verdict through an appeal hearing. “I am optimistic for several reasons,” Nadiem said after the appeal hearing at the DKI Jakarta High Court on Wednesday. The first reason, he said, is that his case very strongly demonstrates the absence of state losses or any element of corruption, which even a layperson could understand. Because there were no state losses or corruption, he argued, the panel of judges at the first-instance court found it difficult to issue a ruling declaring him guilty. Nadiem explained that the difficulty was evident in the verdict, which stated he abused his authority by granting too much power to special staff and technology consultants. “Imagine being sentenced to 10 years in prison because I gave too much authority. That is one example of coercion, so our case is very strong,” he said. He continued with the second reason, namely that the Judicial Commission (KY) had already found judicial violations related to his case, after his side reported indications of pressure or intimidation on judges at the district court level. Furthermore, he added, the ongoing internal transformation and reform within the Attorney General’s Office is expected to prevent judges from being pressured again. “So that judges can be independent, only follow the facts of the trial, and follow their conscience,” Nadiem stated. In the alleged corruption case concerning the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education and Culture for 2019-2022, Nadiem was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption. In addition to the prison sentence, he was also fined Rp1 billion, subsidiary to 190 days in prison, and ordered to pay restitution of Rp809.59 billion, subsidiary to 5 years in prison. The restitution was imposed after Nadiem was proven to have 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 the case, Nadiem was proven to have abused his authority, causing state financial losses amounting to Rp1.56 trillion. The corruption included carrying out 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. The actions of the founder of a technology company were declared to have been carried out jointly with three other defendants who had been convicted in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who remains a fugitive. Consequently, Nadiem was proven to have violated criminal provisions stipulated in Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.