Jakarta. One of the suspects in the high-profile Chromebook procurement corruption case at the Education Ministry has been placed under city detention and fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet, prosecutors confirmed on Thursday.

The suspect, Ibrahim Arief, is a technology consultant accused of involvement in the case, which allegedly caused Rp 1.98 trillion (approximately $122 million) in state losses.

According to Anang Supriatna, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, Ibrahim is not being held in custody due to chronic heart disease requiring regular medical treatment. Instead, his movements will be tracked through the electronic bracelet while legal proceedings continue.

“For suspect Ibrahim, an electronic monitoring bracelet has been installed to track his whereabouts,” Anang said at a press briefing in Jakarta.

Prosecutors have allowed Ibrahim to seek medical treatment in Jakarta hospitals at any time without prior approval. However, if he intends to leave the city, special permission is required.

Ibrahim is one of four suspects in the corruption case linked to the Education Ministry’s Chromebook procurement program between 2020 and 2022. The initiative aimed to distribute 1.2 million laptops to schools in Indonesia’s outermost and underdeveloped regions as part of a national digitalization effort.

The program was backed by a total budget of Rp 9.3 trillion sourced from the state budget and special allocation funds.

The other suspects include:

• Mulyatsyah, former director for junior high schools;
• Sri Wahyuningsih, former director for elementary schools;
• Jurist Tan, a former special staff member to Education Minister Nadiem Makarim, who is currently overseas.

Prosecutors said the Chromebooks proved unsuitable for the ministry’s school digitalization efforts, as the devices require constant internet connectivity -- a significant challenge in remote areas with limited electricity and unreliable internet access.

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