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View all search resultsProsecutors reject Nadiem’s defense plea in Chromebook corruption case
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Nadiem Makarim, former education minister and cofounder of ride-hailing firm Gojek, arrives for a hearing on May 13 over alleged corruption related to the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops at the Jakarta Corruption Court. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
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rosecutors rejected former education minister Nadiem Makarim’s defense plea at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, maintaining that he had abused his authority and professional expertise for personal gain, as the defense prepared a final counterargument.
Nadiem presented his defense notes last week and asked the panel of judges to acquit him of corruption charges tied to the ministry’s procurement of Chromebook laptops between 2020 and 2022, arguing that the prosecution stemmed from bureaucratic resentment rather than genuine wrongdoing. He also disputed the prosecution’s framing of the Chromebook procurement as a scheme for self-enrichment, claiming instead that the project had saved the state Rp 3.9 trillion (US$240 million).
Responding to the plea, prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) told the court on Tuesday that Nadiem had failed to address the substance of the evidence presented during the trial. They further accused the former minister of distorting facts and basing his defense on “empty assumptions”.
“[Nadiem’s defense] was deliberately constructed to shape public opinion and is not based on legal facts,” one of the prosecutors said, adding that testimony from witnesses and evidence showed that Nadiem had ordered the procurement of Chromebooks without first weighing the urgency of doing so.
“Neither the defendant nor his lawyers were able to present evidence that showed that the state had saved Rp 3.9 trillion,” the prosecutor added.
Read also: Nadiem warns of chilling effect on talent in defense plea
The prosecutor characterized Nadiem’s case as a “white-collar crime”, alleging that it involved the manipulation of regulations and financial reporting to create the appearance of legality, attempts to obscure links between the defendant and alleged offenses, and efforts to portray the prosecution as a form of criminalization.
