ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA — The alleged corruption case surrounding the procurement of Chromebooks by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is heating up.
Prosecutors have highlighted a blurring of personal business interests and national education policy involving former Minister Nadiem Makarim, global tech giant Google, and Indonesian digital conglomerate GoTo.
This assessment was delivered by Public Prosecutor Roy Riadi during the continued trial at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta District Court, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The disclosed facts reveal a complex web of business–political entanglements allegedly causing state losses.
Google and GoTo Key Witnesses in the Case
According to the official statement from the Head of Legal Information Center at the Attorney General’s Office, Anang Supriatna, prosecutors summoned key witnesses from Google and GoTo, including:
– Ali Mardi, Head of Tax, GoTo Group
– Putri Ratu Alam, Director of Government Relations & Public Policy, Google Indonesia
– Fiona Handayani, Special Staff to the Minister SKM
The witnesses provided testimony in relation to the defendants Ibrahim Arief, Sri Wahyuningsih, and Mulyatsyah.
Google–Nadiem Deal Under Scrutiny
Prosecutors revealed shocking trial facts: an alleged agreement between Google and Nadiem Makarim during his tenure as Minister to integrate Google Chrome OS into Indonesia’s education ecosystem, despite previous failures of the product.
“Defendant Nadiem Makarim intertwined personal and business interests with national education policy, bypassing competent senior officials and education experts,” stated Roy Riadi.
Instead, the policy involved close associates of Nadiem who lacked relevant formal education backgrounds.
Massive Investment Flow to PT AKAB
The trial also exposed a massive investment flow from Google into Nadiem’s company, PT AKAB, totaling USD 786 million (approximately IDR 207 trillion). This coincided with a sharp rise in Nadiem’s personal assets, recorded at over IDR 5 trillion in 2022.
Prosecutor Roy also noted suspicious transactions in 2021, when Google divested shares repurchased by PT AKAB, coinciding with the issuance of Ministry of Education Regulation (Permendikbud) No. 5 of 2021.
“We have reason to suspect that funds flowed from PT AKAB to Nadiem’s companies without proper documentation as loans or tax-compliant transactions,” emphasized Roy Riadi.
109 Billion GoTo Shares Moved Offshore
Another major concern is the transfer of 109 billion GoTo shares to an offshore company in the Cayman Islands, which were later distributed to management and directors as loans.
Prosecutors questioned why these assets were moved abroad, suspected as tax avoidance, while online ride-hailing drivers faced severe economic difficulties on the ground.
Chromebook Procurement Lacked Transparency
The technical procurement process of Chromebooks was described as highly opaque. Product specifications were provided directly by Google to Nadiem’s close team, resulting in inflated prices. The Commitment Making Officer (PPK) admitted that no market price survey was conducted according to proper procedures.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed that witness testimonies will continue to be examined to strengthen evidence of state losses and the involvement of related parties in this scandal implicating Google and GoTo. (AT Network)
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