Prosecutors Highlight Exclusion of Internal Kemendikbudristek Staff in Chromebook Procurement
Jakarta, VIVA - The Public Prosecutor (JPU) has highlighted the planning process for the education digitalisation programme and Chromebook procurement within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), noting that it did not involve the ministry’s organic human resources.
This was stated by JPU Roy Riady during a hearing at the Central Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday, 11 May 2026. He assessed that, based on the evidence and trial facts, former Minister of Education Nadiem Anwar Makarim tended to involve external parties more than internal officials such as directors-general or directors.
“Based on the evidence and trial facts, Nadiem did not involve the organic human resources available in the ministry, such as directors-general and directors, in planning and identifying needs related to education digitalisation in schools, including the Chromebook procurement,” Roy said, quoted on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.
According to Roy, the parties involved instead included Ibrahim Arief, alias Ibam, as a consultant, as well as Jurist Tan and Fiona Handayani, who were part of the Minister’s inner circle at the time.
“The ones he involved were outsiders he trusted, namely Jurist Tan, Fiona, and Ibam, along with several others,” he stated.
The JPU also revealed the existence of a WhatsApp group named “Mas Menteri Core Team” created in August 2019, before Nadiem officially assumed the role of Minister of Education. This group is said to have served as a space for discussions on education policy visions and digitalisation programmes.
During the hearing, Roy mentioned that Nadiem admitted his leadership style in the ministry adopted the working pattern from when he led Gojek. According to the JPU, this was evident from the minimal communication with the directors-general and directors in Kemendikbudristek.
“So I asked, how is it customary for you to lead a ministry? He admitted that his pattern was like the one he brought from Gojek. And he did not communicate with the directors-general and directors,” Roy said.
Nevertheless, Roy emphasised that, based on the ministry’s authority structure, policy decisions remain in the hands of the Minister along with internal ministry officials, not special staff or consultants.
The JPU assessed that the statements in the hearing also differed from several pieces of electronic evidence in the form of WhatsApp conversations that have been presented. One of them relates to discussions about Chromebooks in a group consisting of Jurist Tan, Fiona Handayani, and Ibrahim Arief.