Jakarta. Former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim was questioned again by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on Tuesday as a witness in an ongoing corruption investigation into the Education Ministry’s Rp 9.9 trillion ($600 million) Chromebook procurement project during his 2019–2022 tenure.

Nadiem arrived at the AGO office in Jakarta around 9 a.m. The AGO said the follow-up questioning was urgent to deepen information gathering in the high-profile case.

“This is very important,” AGO spokesperson Harli Siregar told reporters on Tuesday, adding that investigators have been collecting documents and electronic evidence while examining numerous witnesses to build the case.

Harli said investigators are focusing on Nadiem’s oversight role in the procurement process, including planning, implementation, and the current condition of the Chromebook project, and will share key findings once the session concludes.

Previously, Nadiem was questioned on June 23, when investigators asked him around 31 questions regarding the Chromebook procurement as part of the ministry’s digitalization program. The AGO is scrutinizing meetings held in early May 2020, which preceded the decision to proceed with the Chromebook purchase, despite an April 2020 technical review deeming the devices ineffective.

“There was a crucial meeting in May 2020, and although a technical study was done in April, changes were made in June or July. We are investigating what happened during that period,” Harli said.

The AGO is also looking into the roles of three special staff members under Nadiem at the time, seeking to determine who influenced the shift from the initial technical review to the final decision to procure Chromebooks under the project.

“Who played a role in the changes from the initial assessment to the review that led to the selection of Chromebooks? This is what investigators will continue to examine,” Harli said.

Last week, the AGO searched the office of tech giant GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GOTO) in Jakarta as part of its Chromebook investigation. Nadiem co-founded Gojek before it merged with Tokopedia to form GoTo. 

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