Nadiem appeared at the Jakarta Corruption Court in Central Jakarta that morning after missing his scheduled hearings twice last month as he was still recovering from surgery reportedly for a condition called perianal fistula while under the custody of the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

Presenting their indictment, the AGO prosecutors accused Nadiem of manipulating the tender process for the laptop procurement for schools nationwide between 2019 and 2022 in favor of Google laptops despite the ministry’s research team advising against it. At the time Nadiem served under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Nadiem allegedly colluded with his four subordinates at the ministry – three of them are also on trial while former special staffer Jurist Tan remains at large.

The prosecutors said his actions incurred the Rp 2.18 trillion state losses because evidence pointed to many of the Chromebooks not functioning properly for schools in the remote, outermost and least developed regions.

According to prosecutors, the Chromebook procurement policy was intended to advance Nadiem’s personal interests in Google’s investment for companies he founded before becoming minister. His action allegedly has allowed him to enrich himself up to Rp 809.59 billion from the investment ties although the companies in question were not involved in the laptop procurement.

Read also: Nadiem’s Chromebook graft trial postponed over health issues