Jakarta. Former Education Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim was released from prosecutors’ custody on Thursday due to illness, just days before the opening hearing in his corruption case. Nadiem, who co-founded the ride-hailing company Gojek, is standing trial over alleged irregularities in a massive Chromebook procurement program carried out during his ministerial tenure.

Anang Supriatna, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, confirmed that Nadiem had been transferred to a hospital for intensive medical treatment. “He was sent to the hospital because he is sick and requires care,” Anang said.

This is not the first time Nadiem has been released from detention on medical grounds. In late September, he was briefly hospitalized and underwent surgery following a deterioration in his health.

Legal proceedings in the Chromebook procurement case continue to move forward. The first trial session is scheduled for December 16, when prosecutors will present the indictment against Nadiem and several co-defendants. The case will be heard by a panel of five judges at the Central Jakarta District Court, led by Judge Purwanto Abdullah.

Nadiem was initially detained on September 4 as investigators examined alleged misconduct linked to a Rp 9.3 trillion ($600 million) Chromebook procurement program implemented between 2020 and 2022. The initiative aimed to provide 1.2 million laptops for schools across the country.

Investigators found that many devices were unusable in remote regions because Chromebooks rely on stable internet access — a resource often unavailable outside major cities. The state is estimated to have suffered around Rp 2 trillion ($130 million) in losses.

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