Witness reveals 'power' of Nadiem Makarim's Special Staff: Even senior officials are afraid and overwhelmed

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Prosecutors and the camp of former Education and Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Makarim clashed over narrative as four crown witnesses were called in the ongoing trial into the alleged corruption in Chromebook-based laptop procurement. The witnesses include: former Consultant Technology in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Ibrahim Arief; Mulyatsyah, former Director of SMP in the ministry (2020–2021) and Budget User (KPA); Sri Wahyuningsih, former Director of SD (2020–2021) and KPA; and Fiona Handayani, former Special Staff to the Minister. Prosecutors probed the relationships between ministry officials, Sri and Mulyatsyah, and Nadiem’s staff, Fiona. At times the court discussed Fiona and other special staff, Jurist Tan, who has wide authority, even equal to a minister. “I want to ask these two witnesses. Was Fiona’s presence as Minister’s Special Staff, were you afraid or annoyed or what was her status there?” one prosecutor asked Mulyatsyah and Sri during the hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Thursday (5 March 2026). Mulyatsyah, seated not far from Fiona, voiced his view. “During my tenure, my assessment was that she was overly over-confident in leading meetings,” he said. He added that the minister’s special staff is only responsible to the minister. Their job is to provide advice, not to actively lead meetings or raise operational questions with ministry officials. When the prosecutor asked the same question, Sri said many officials were overwhelmed dealing with Jurist and Fiona. Sri said senior officials did not seem able to do much when facing Nadiem’s Special Staff. “So the top echelon were also afraid of Ms. Fiona?” the prosecutor asked.