Jakarta. A South Jakarta District Court on Monday rejected a pretrial motion filed by former Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister and co-founder of ride-hailing company Gojek, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, affirming his legal status as a suspect in a corruption case involving a $600 million (Rp 9.3 trillion) Chromebook procurement project.

In a ruling delivered by Judge I Ketut Darpawan, the court declared that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) had followed proper criminal procedure in naming Nadiem a suspect. “The court rejects the petitioner’s pretrial motion,” Judge Darpawan said, confirming that the former minister’s arrest and investigation were valid under Indonesian law.

The decision marks a significant setback for Nadiem, once lauded as a symbol of Indonesia’s digital transformation for his role in founding Gojek. His wife, Franka Makarim, expressed sadness and disappointment following the verdict. “We are deeply saddened and disappointed by today’s decision,” she said outside the courthouse, while adding that the family respects the court’s ruling and will continue to cooperate with the legal process.

The AGO welcomed the court’s decision, saying it validated the investigation. “We respect the ruling, which confirms that our procedures in determining the suspect’s status are in line with criminal law,” said AGO spokesman Anang Supriatna. He added that prosecutors will now proceed with the investigation “while upholding the presumption of innocence.”

During the pretrial proceedings, the AGO presented 90 documentary pieces of evidence and testimony from criminal law expert Suparji Ahmad of Al-Azhar University Indonesia. Suparji testified that prosecutors are not required to wait for a formal state-loss audit from the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) before naming a corruption suspect, as long as there are credible indications of financial loss.

Nadiem’s legal team, led by prominent lawyer Hotman Paris, had argued that the suspect designation was unlawful because the investigation warrant and arrest order were issued on the same day --Sept. 4-- without Nadiem being questioned as a potential suspect. They also pointed to alleged procedural errors and inconsistencies in the official documents.

The case centers on the Ministry of Education’s $600 million Chromebook procurement program between 2020 and 2022, which was meant to support digital learning in schools. Investigators allege the project caused around Rp 2 trillion ($130 million) in state losses due to poor implementation and unusable devices in remote regions.

Nadiem, who served under President Joko Widodo, remains in custody as prosecutors continue gathering evidence. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison under Indonesia’s anti-corruption law.

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