Jakarta – Indonesian prosecutors on Monday formally charged former education minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim in a corruption case linked to the procurement of Chromebook laptops that allegedly caused state losses of Rp 2.18 trillion ($119 million).
Nadiem, who is also a co-founder of ride-hailing firm Gojek, was named the main defendant in the case, which prosecutors began investigating last year. The case centers on the Education Ministry's purchase of thousands of laptops between 2020 and 2022 that were found to be largely ineffective due to limited internet access in underdeveloped regions.
Prosecutor Roy Riady said the procurement of information and communications technology-based learning tools did not comply with procurement planning requirements or established procurement principles.
"The acts were committed jointly with Ibrahim Arief, Mulyatsyah, Sri Wahyuningsih, and Jurist Tan," Roy said during the reading of the indictment at the Central Jakarta District Court, referring to former Education Ministry officials and a technology consultant named as co-defendants.
Prosecutors detailed that the alleged state losses included Rp 1.56 trillion related to the Education Ministry's digitalization program, as well as $44.05 million, or about Rp 621.39 billion, stemming from the procurement of Chrome Device Management licenses deemed unnecessary and of no tangible benefit to the program.
The prosecution also accused Nadiem of receiving Rp 809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa.
According to prosecutors, Nadiem initiated the Chromebook procurement together with Ibrahim Arief, who acted as a technology consultant, as well as Mulyatsyah and Sri Wahyuningsih, then directors at the Directorate General of Primary and Secondary Education between 2020 and 2021, and Jurist Tan, a former special staff member to the minister.
However, the prosecution said the technical specifications and needs assessment were not based on a proper identification of Indonesia's primary and secondary education requirements, resulting in failures, particularly in remote and underdeveloped regions.
Prosecutors further alleged that the defendants determined unit prices and budget allocations for the 2020 fiscal year without conducting credible market surveys or providing accountable supporting data.