Witness: Nadiem Transferred Additional Funds Using Personal Money to Special Staff
Jakarta (ANTARA) - A witness in the alleged Chromebook laptop corruption case, Deswitha Arvinchi, revealed that the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology for the 2019-2024 period, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, regularly transferred additional funds using his personal money to his five special staff members.
Deswitha stated that during her tenure as Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2024, she was tasked with reminding Nadiem to make the transfers.
“The funds came from his personal account, personal funds,” Deswitha said during the witness examination hearing at the Corruption Crimes Court at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday.
Although she did not disclose the amount of funds transferred, she said the five former special staff members included Fiona Handayani and Jurist Tan.
Fiona has already testified in Nadiem’s trial, while Jurist Tan has been named a suspect in the case but remains a fugitive.
In the alleged corruption case involving the education digitalisation programme through the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2022, Nadiem has been charged with corruption causing state financial losses amounting to Rp2.18 trillion.
The corruption allegedly involved 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 procurement planning and procurement principles.
The acts were allegedly committed jointly with three other defendants who have already been tried — Ibrahim Arief, also known as Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih — as well as Jurist Tan, who remains at large.
In detail, the state losses comprise Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitalisation programme at the Ministry, and US$44.05 million (equivalent to Rp621.39 billion) from the procurement of unnecessary and non-beneficial CDM for the education digitalisation programme.
Through these actions, Nadiem is alleged to have received Rp809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia.
It was noted that the majority of PT AKAB’s funds originated from Google’s investment of US$786.99 million.
This can be seen from Nadiem’s wealth recorded in his 2022 State Officials’ Wealth Report (LHKPN), which showed acquisition of securities worth Rp5.59 trillion.
For these actions, Nadiem faces criminal charges under Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes, as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001, in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) point 1 of the Criminal Code.