Nadiem Makarim Questioned in Rp 10 Trillion School Laptop Graft Case
Jakarta. Former Education Minister and Gojek founder Nadiem Makarim appeared at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in Jakarta on Monday to provide testimony in an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in a multitrillion-rupiah school laptop procurement project during his tenure.
Nadiem, who arrived without his legal counsel, high-profile lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, told reporters he was committed to supporting the investigation.
“I’m ready to cooperate and support law enforcement in this process. I will provide any information needed,” Nadiem said.
The probe centers on the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry’s Rp 10 trillion ($615 million) Chromebook procurement initiative, which aimed to accelerate digitalization in Indonesian schools between 2019 and 2023.
According to AGO spokesman Harli Siregar, the large-scale project involved the distribution of thousands of Chromebooks to public schools nationwide. However, many of the devices were reportedly ineffective, especially in remote areas with limited or no internet access -- a critical flaw for devices heavily reliant on cloud-based functionality.
“There are strong indications of conspiracy in the procurement process,” Harli said in late May. “Roughly 1,000 Chromebooks were tested and showed poor performance, yet the procurement was pushed through regardless.”
He added that the mismatch between the devices and the actual needs of students in underconnected regions raises concerns of deliberate manipulation and waste of public funds.
“Spending such a massive sum on devices unsuited to the educational infrastructure amounts to significant state losses,” Harli said.
The laptop procurement occurred during Nadiem’s leadership of the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry under President Joko Widodo. Following the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto in October 2024, the ministry was restructured into several entities overseeing primary and secondary education, higher education, culture, and research and technology.
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