Prosecutors Suspect Nadiem's Rp4.87 Trillion Wealth Increase Stemmed from Chromebook Corruption
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office, Roy Riady, suspect that the disproportionate increase in the defendant and former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek) Nadiem Anwar Makarim’s wealth amounting to Rp4.87 trillion in 2022 is the result of corruption in the Chromebook case.
The reason, according to the prosecutors, is that the increase in Nadiem’s assets, which is not balanced with his income as a minister, occurred during the period of the alleged Chromebook corruption case, namely from 2019 to 2022.
“This is part of a corruption scheme involving unlawful acts or abuse of authority in the defendant’s policy to select ChromeOS owned by Google, which constitutes a conflict of interest,” stated the prosecutor during the reading of the indictment at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday.
The prosecutor explained that when Nadiem first took office as Mendikbudristek in October 2019, he reported his assets as a state official to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) with a total of Rp1.23 trillion.
However, in 2022, it was stated that there was an increase in Nadiem’s wealth of Rp4.87 trillion in the State Organiser’s Wealth Report (LHKPN), the origin of which Nadiem could not explain in the trial.
Therefore, the prosecutor is using the amount of funds as restitution to Nadiem, plus the alleged value of money enjoyed by Nadiem in the alleged Chromebook corruption case amounting to Rp809.59 billion.
The Rp809.59 billion is alleged to have been obtained by Nadiem through his company, PT Gojek Indonesia, from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB).
The prosecutor stated that the money is an economic benefit enjoyed by Nadiem due to a conflict of interest from his position as a minister and as a shareholder of PT AKAB from Google Asia Pacific investments, one of which occurred in October 2021.
According to the prosecutor, Nadiem’s argument or rebuttal, which claims that the Rp809.59 billion transaction was in the form of a debt and was transferred back on the same day, indicates that the transaction was not normal.
“This is a scheme to disguise or enrich the defendant, which in the white-collar crime regime, this scheme is also used in the money laundering criminal regime,” said the prosecutor.
Previously, Nadiem was sentenced to 18 years in prison, a fine of Rp1 billion subsidiary to 190 days in prison, and restitution of Rp5.67 trillion subsidiary to 9 years in prison.
In the alleged corruption case of the education digitalisation programme involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology from 2019 to 2022, Nadiem is charged with corruption that harms the state finances by Rp2.18 trillion.
The corruption is alleged to have been committed, among others, by implementing 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 the procurement planning and procurement principles.
Nadiem’s actions are charged as being committed jointly with three other defendants in separate trials, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah and Sri Wahyuningsih, as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently a fugitive.
In detail, the state losses caused amount to Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, as well as US$44.05 million or equivalent to Rp621.39 billion due to the unnecessary and unbeneficial procurement of CDM in the education digitalisation programme.
With those actions, Nadiem is alleged to have received money amounting to Rp809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia.
It is stated that most of PT AKAB’s funding sources come from Google’s investment of US$786.99 million.
This can be seen from Nadiem’s wealth recorded in the State Organiser’s Wealth Report (LHKPN) in 2022, which includes asset acquisition in the form of securities worth Rp5.59 trillion.
For his actions, Nadiem faces punishment under Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law No. 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) first of the Criminal Code.