Prosecutors Are Seeking 18 Years for Nadiem Makarim in Chromebook Graft Scandal

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Indonesian prosecutors are demanding a massive 18-year prison term for former Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim in a landmark corruption trial that has rocked the nation’s tech and education sectors. The case centers on the fraudulent procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) software between 2020 and 2022, a flagship program intended to bridge the country's digital divide.

During a high-stakes hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday, Prosecutor Roy Riady also called for a fine of Rp 1 billion ($62,800) and the seizure of trillions of rupiah in assets deemed disproportionate to Makarim's legal income.

The trial exposes a deep intersection between government procurement and Indonesia's tech giants. With billions in state losses and allegations that Google Asia Pacific investments were diverted into kickbacks, the case threatens to chill investor sentiment toward public-private digital partnerships in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

The Chromebook Failure

Prosecutors allege that Makarim, alongside a fugitive special staffer and a consultant, directed the technical team to select Chromebooks without performing a proper needs assessment for Indonesian schools. This top-down mandate led to a total collapse of the program in the "3T" regions (frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged areas), where the technology could not be utilized.

"The appointment of Chromebooks was not based on identifying the needs of primary and secondary education in Indonesia," Prosecutor Riady stated while reading the 1,597-page sentencing demand. He further characterized the failed implementation in remote areas as an "act against the law and a betrayal of the constitution".

Follow the Money

The financial scale of the graft is staggering. Total state losses are estimated at Rp 2.18 trillion ($137 million), which includes $44.05 million (Rp 621 billion) spent on CDM software that was deemed entirely "unnecessary and useless".

Furthermore, Makarim is accused of personally enriching himself with Rp 809.59 billion ($50.9 million). This money allegedly flowed from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB)—the parent of Gojek Indonesia, the decacorn Makarim founded—which had received a $786.99 million investment from Google Asia Pacific.

Sentencing and Asset Seizure

In addition to the 18-year prison demand, prosecutors are pushing for Makarim to pay restitution of Rp 809.5 billion and an additional Rp 4.8 trillion ($301 million) to the state. Failure to pay these sums would result in an additional 9 years of imprisonment.

While other defendants in the case, including former ministry directors and consultants, have already received sentences ranging from 4 to 4.5 years, Makarim faces a much steeper penalty due to the scale of the state loss and his role in obstructing the proceedings. Prosecutors noted as an aggravating factor that Makarim was "convoluted in giving testimony" and ignored the quality of education for personal gain.