Jakarta. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has issued a six-month overseas travel ban against former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim, as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebook laptops between 2019 and 2022.

In addition to Nadiem, several of his former special staff members at the Education Ministry and two employees from Google’s public relations and marketing division in Indonesia have also been placed under the travel restriction.

“The travel ban aims to ensure the investigation proceeds smoothly should Nadiem’s testimony be required,” said Harli Siregar, spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office, on Monday. “Investigators have also applied the same measure to two Google staff and Nadiem’s former aides.”

Nadiem, the founder of ride-hailing company Gojek, who later served as education minister until October last year, was questioned as a witness for the first time last week. Investigators submitted at least 31 questions, primarily focused on the procurement mechanism and decision-making process behind the Rp 10 trillion ($615 million) Chromebook project.

According to Harli, the investigation is centered on a key meeting held in May 2020, following an April 2020 technical assessment that concluded Chromebooks were not suitable for nationwide procurement due to Indonesia’s limited internet infrastructure.

“What concerns us is that shortly after that meeting, the policy direction changed abruptly,” Harli explained. “Chromebooks suddenly became the primary choice, even though earlier assessments deemed them ineffective, especially for regions with poor internet access.”

Investigators are also scrutinizing the roles of three of Nadiem’s former special staff, who allegedly influenced the alteration of the technical review, vendor selection, and the choice of operating system for the laptops distributed to schools nationwide.

“We want to know who directed the revision of the technical review, who was involved in reshaping the decision-making process, and why Chromebooks were forced as the only option,” Harli said.

Preventive Measure, Not a Declaration of Guilt
Harli stressed that the travel ban does not mean Nadiem has been named a suspect. Rather, it is a preventive legal measure to ensure he remains available for questioning whenever needed.

“This is standard procedure and does not automatically imply criminal status,” Harli noted.

So far, more than 40 witnesses have been questioned, and the AGO is now finalizing the investigation to determine who will be officially designated as suspects in a case that prosecutors say could have caused billions of rupiah in state losses.