Nadiem Makarim Faces KPK Questioning in Google Cloud Corruption Probe
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Makarim arrived at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters on Thursday, Aug 7, 2025, to answer questions related to alleged corruption involving the procurement of Google Cloud services during his tenure.
Nadiem, who served from 2019 to 2024, reached the Merah Putih building in South Jakarta at 09.17 WIB. He was accompanied by high-profile attorney Hotman Paris Hutapea and greeted reporters briefly with, “I’m healthy, thank God. I’ll speak after.”
In a statement last week, KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo confirmed the agency had summoned Nadiem for questioning as part of an investigation into the ministry’s cloud services procurement. “Yes, the KPK will request clarification from him,” Budi told reporters at the agency’s office.
A Separate Track from the Chromebook Scandal
The KPK’s investigation centers specifically on the procurement of Google Cloud services, which the Ministry of Education and Culture initiated to support online learning and data infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to officials, this case was initially tied to the broader digital learning procurement project that also involved Chromebook laptops. However, the Chromebook component—worth Rp9.9 trillion ($610 million)—is now being handled separately by the Attorney General’s Office, which has named several suspects.
“The Chromebook case is under Kejagung. What’s left with KPK are other elements like Google Cloud,” said Asep Guntur Rahayu, KPK’s Acting Deputy for Enforcement and Execution.
KPK sources familiar with the case say the investigation involves allegations of inflated costs, non-transparent procurement procedures, and potential abuse of state budget allocations tied to the Google Cloud contract.
Google Cloud Procurement Under Scrutiny
The ministry’s use of Google Cloud was part of a broader digital transformation initiative during the pandemic, aimed at supporting remote learning across Indonesia’s school system. However, watchdog groups have questioned the oversight and value-for-money in these tech procurements, especially given the large volumes of public funds involved.
Prior to Nadiem’s appearance, the anti-graft body had already questioned several key figures, including Fiona Handayani, a former special staffer, and Andre Soelistyo and Melissa Siska Juminto from PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia, which had partnered with the government on education platforms during the pandemic.
Although no formal charges have been brought against Nadiem as of this writing, legal experts say his summoning signals that the case has entered a critical phase.
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