Prosecutors Accuse Nadiem's Side of Presenting Buzzer as Expert in Chromebook Corruption Trial

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim presented education and career consultant Ina Setiawati Liem, alias Ina Liem, as an expert witness to mitigate in the trial of the alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook-based laptops.

As Ina was about to take her oath before the panel of judges, the public prosecutor (JPU) raised an objection, deeming that her testimony would not be objective.

“We request that our objection to the presence of this expert be noted, Your Honours. In our view, this is not an expert but a buzzer,” stated the Head of the Prosecution Team, Roy Riady, during the hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (21/4/2026).

According to Roy, the content produced by Ina diminishes the facts of the trial.

“Ina Liem often provides comments that discredit the ongoing developments in the handling of this case, this criminal matter,” Roy said.

The prosecutors assessed that an expert presented must provide objective and unbiased testimony.

Nadiem’s side initially defended Ina, whom they had brought in as an expert witness.

Nadiem’s lawyer, Radhie Noviadi Yusuf, emphasised that Ina’s content was an expression of freedom outside the courtroom.

This is commonplace and would not be questioned in today’s hearing.

Radhie stated that Ina was presented to address the prosecutor’s statements claiming that Nadiem’s programme had failed and caused Indonesian children’s IQ to be very low, even squat.

After hearing arguments from both sides and deliberating briefly, the panel of judges decided to proceed with hearing Ina Liem’s testimony.

“Our brother will examine you, but with the note that you must be objective about this. You are presented as an expert in education and career, which is certainly inseparable from that,” said the presiding judge, Purwanto S Abdullah.