Sentencing Hearing for Rp2.18 Trillion Chromebook Procurement Case Held Today, Nadiem Makarim Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison
Tangsellife.com - The verdict hearing for the alleged corruption case in the procurement of Chromebook laptops within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) with a project value of Rp2.18 trillion is scheduled to take place on Tuesday (30/6/2026).
The case that ensnared the former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, is entering its final stage after the Public Prosecutor (JPU) previously demanded a sentence of 18 years in prison and a replacement fine of Rp5.4 trillion. All these demands will still be decided by the panel of judges.
Prosecutor Claims Collusion in Chromebook Procurement
In a previous trial, the prosecutor detailed allegations of manipulation in the Chromebook procurement process, which was part of the national education digitalization program.
Several witnesses were presented to provide testimony, including regarding an internal communication group that was allegedly used to coordinate project implementation.
The prosecutor also presented several officials from Kemendikbudristek and vendor representatives to strengthen the evidence in the trial.
Jurist Tan and Vendor Names Emerge in Trial
During the trial process, the name of Jurist Tan, a former Special Staff to the Minister of Kemendikbudristek, was mentioned in the testimonies of several witnesses.
One witness stated that Jurist Tan was said to have significant authority in various aspects, from budgeting to regulations within the ministry.
Furthermore, the trial also revealed meetings between several parties related to the laptop procurement project.
Legal Team Denies Prosecutor's Charges
On the other hand, Nadiem Makarim's legal team denied all charges filed by the prosecutor.
They argued that the suspect designation process was carried out before the state loss audit was completed, thus deeming the charges premature.
The defense also requested the panel of judges to consider all trial facts before issuing a verdict.
Chromebook Procurement Deemed Ineffective
In the previous investigation process, the Attorney General's Office considered the use of Chromebooks to be less effective due to the uneven internet access across various regions in Indonesia.
This was one of the points revealed during the trial regarding the consideration for procuring devices based on the Chrome operating system.
Nevertheless, all legal facts revealed in the trial will still be considered by the panel of judges before issuing a verdict.
Today's verdict hearing will be the final determinant of whether the panel of judges accepts all prosecutor's demands, reduces the sentence, or issues another verdict in accordance with the trial facts.
