Prosecutors Baffled by Chromebook Selling Price Below Cost: 'Is That Logical?'

Prosecutors expressed astonishment that the selling price of Chromebook laptops from PT Hewlett-Packard Indonesia (HP) was lower than the cost of goods sold (COGS), sarcastically questioning whether such pricing was logical.

The pointed remarks were directed at Juliana, President Director of PT HP, who appeared as a witness at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (24 February 2026). The defendants in the trial are Mulyatsyah, Director of Junior Secondary Schools at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology in 2020; Sri Wahyuningsih, Director of Primary Schools at the Directorate General of Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education from 2020 to 2021; and Ibrahim Arief, also known as Ibam, a consultant.

Juliana initially stated that PT HP only sold Chromebook laptops in 2021, with the COGS priced at Rp 3.6 million.

“But haven’t you sold Chromebooks in the tens of thousands of units up to now?” the prosecutor asked.

“As I have already stated, we sold Chromebooks in 2021,” Juliana replied.

“Only then? Not in 2022?” the prosecutor pressed.

“2021,” Juliana confirmed.

“What was the COGS?” the prosecutor asked.

“Our COGS was Rp 3,651,234 before VAT,” Juliana answered.

Juliana stated that the selling price to distributors was Rp 3.4 million excluding Value Added Tax (VAT). Prosecutors were bewildered as to why the selling price was lower than the COGS.

“The selling price to distributors was Rp 3.4 million excluding VAT,” Juliana said.

“How can the COGS be higher than the selling price to distributors?” the prosecutor responded in astonishment.

“This is based on the data that exists in our system,” Juliana answered.

Juliana maintained that these were the figures recorded in PT HP’s data system. The prosecutor questioned the logic of the pricing.

“Is that logical? Just answer that first,” the prosecutor said.

“I cannot answer that because this is factual data from our system,” Juliana replied.

“The COGS is Rp 3.6 million, the selling price to distributors is Rp 3.4 million. Splendid — perhaps it was charity,” the prosecutor remarked.

Previously, the indictment hearing for Mulyatsyah, Sri, and Ibam was held on Tuesday (16 December 2025). Prosecutors charged the three with causing Rp 2.1 trillion in state losses in the case.

According to prosecutors, the Rp 2.1 trillion in calculated state losses comprised Rp 1,567,888,662,716.74 (Rp 1.5 trillion) from inflated Chromebook laptop prices, and USD 44,054,426 or approximately Rp 621,387,678,730 (Rp 621 billion) from unnecessary and non-beneficial Chrome Device Management procurement.

“The state financial losses of Rp 1,567,888,662,716.74 are based on the state financial loss audit report regarding the alleged corruption case in the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2022, numbered PE.03.03/SR/SP-920/D6/02/2025, dated 4 November 2025, from the Financial and Development Supervisory Board of the Republic of Indonesia,” prosecutor Roy Riady stated while reading out the indictment at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court.

“And state financial losses resulting from the procurement of Chrome Device Management that was unnecessary and non-beneficial in the Education Digitalisation Programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2022, amounting to USD 44,054,426 or at least Rp 621,387,678,730,” he added.