Prosecutors Prepare to Rebut Nadiem Makarim's Defence in Chromebook Trial
Public Prosecutors (JPU) have affirmed that they will respond to the full contents of the defence plea (pledoi) presented by the former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, in the upcoming hearing for the Chromebook procurement corruption case on 9 June 2026. This statement was made by prosecutor Parade Hutasoit following the reading of the defence at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (2/6/2026).
Parade noted that the defence documents provided by the legal team spanned approximately 1,334 pages, while Nadiem’s personal plea consisted of 1,6 pages, forming an integral part of the legal defence. According to Parade, there remains a fundamental disagreement between the defendant and the prosecution regarding the proof of criminal elements in the case. He stated that the defence team concludes that the elements of the charges have not been proven.
However, the prosecution maintains that several narratives presented in the plea are not based on the trial facts or the evidence presented in the indictment. Regarding Nadiem’s claim that the Chromebook procurement programme benefited the state by up to Rp3.9 trillion, the prosecutor argued that this claim remains unproven. Parade pointed out that trial facts show market prices for Chromebooks with similar low-end specifications range between approximately Rp3 million, whereas the procurement price in the Ministry’s project reached between Rp5 million and Rp6 million per unit, indicating an overpricing issue.
Addressing why Google was not indicted despite being mentioned in court, the prosecutor explained that the prosecution identified the ‘mens rea’ or criminal intent within the defendant as a state official, rather than within the corporation itself. Furthermore, the prosecution refuted claims of political motivation behind the legal proceedings, asserting that the process is purely a matter of law enforcement. The prosecutor also dismissed public support on social media as a measure of truth, suggesting that the public may not yet be fully aware of the trial facts presented over recent months. In the ongoing trial, prosecutors have alleged that the defendant received bribes of Rp1 billion and gratifications worth Rp3.435 billion.