ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s education sector is rocked by a major corruption scandal.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has questioned 11 witnesses in the alleged corruption case of the 2019–2022 Digital Education Program, which has implicated former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim.
Among those questioned on Monday, October 6, 2025 was PRA, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at PT Google Indonesia, marking the first time a major global tech company has been drawn into the probe, which allegedly caused state losses of IDR 1.98 trillion (USD 120 million).
Witnesses from Google Indonesia and Tech Suppliers
The Head of the Legal Information Center at the AGO, Anang Supriatna, confirmed that PRA was questioned to clarify Google Indonesia’s involvement in the procurement of Chromebooks for Indonesia’s national education digitalization project.
Other witnesses questioned by the AGO’s Special Crimes Directorate included:
SR, Head of Imaging Solutions Division at PT Samafitro, and
GH, Director of PT Turbo Mitra Perkasa.
Government and Ministry Officials Also Questioned
Investigators also questioned several officials from the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP), including:
DS, a civil servant at LKPP, and
APU, member of the 2020 Electronic Catalog Procurement Working Group.
From the Ministry of Education and Culture, witnesses included:
MWD, Head of the Bureau of General Affairs and Procurement (2020),
TRI, Head of the same bureau (2021),
INRK, Acting Director of Junior High Schools (2022–2024), and
WJA, Acting Director of Senior High Schools under the Ministry of Research and Technology (2022–2024).
Two financial and audit officials were also questioned:
CI, Senior Auditor at the Inspectorate General (2013–2024), and
HK, Assistant Expenditure Treasurer (2022).
“The witness examinations aim to strengthen evidence and complete the case file,” Anang Supriatna said.
Why Nadiem Makarim Became a Suspect in the Laptop Corruption Case
On September 4, 2025, the AGO officially named Nadiem Anwar Makarim (NAM) as the fifth suspect in the alleged Chromebook procurement corruption case, part of the 2019–2022 Digital Education Program.
According to the AGO’s Director of Investigations, Nurcahyo Jungkung Madyo, Nadiem facilitated the approval of Chromebook procurement from Google Indonesia for schools in Indonesia’s frontier and underdeveloped regions (known as “3T”), despite the project having previously been rejected by his predecessor, Muhadjir Effendy, due to failed pilot trials in 2019.
Nurcahyo revealed that Nadiem first met with representatives from Google Indonesia in February 2020 to discuss the use of Chromebooks for students, where they agreed to introduce Chrome OS and Chrome Device Management (CDM) as part of a national ICT procurement project.
On May 6, 2020, Nadiem reportedly held a closed-door Zoom meeting, during which he mandated the use of Chromebooks in the national education laptop procurement program—long before the official procurement process began.
“Previously, Google’s proposal letter went unanswered by the former minister, ME (Muhadjir Effendy),” said Nurcahyo.
Chronology and Regulatory Violations
To ensure the procurement fit Google’s products, Nadiem allegedly instructed SW (Director of Primary Schools) and M (Director of Junior High Schools) to draft technical guidelines and specifications explicitly requiring Chrome OS.
In February 2021, Nadiem issued Ministerial Regulation No. 5 of 2021 concerning operational guidelines for special allocation funds (DAK) in education. The regulation’s annex explicitly referenced Chrome OS specifications, effectively locking procurement criteria to Google’s ecosystem.
Investigators stated that Nadiem’s decisions violated several regulations, including:
1. Presidential Regulation No. 123 of 2020 on Technical Guidelines for the 2021 DAK Budget;
2. Presidential Regulation No. 16 of 2018, as amended by Regulation No. 12 of 2021, on Government Procurement of Goods and Services;
3. LKPP Regulation No. 7 of 2018, as amended by Regulation No. 11 of 2021, on Procurement Planning Guidelines.
The state suffered an estimated loss of IDR 1.98 trillion (USD 120 million), according to preliminary calculations by Indonesia’s Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
The AGO charged Nadiem under Articles 2(1) and 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001, on the Eradication of Corruption, and Article 55(1) of the Indonesian Criminal Code.
“For investigation purposes, suspect NAM has been detained for 20 days starting September 4, 2025, at Salemba Detention Center, South Jakarta,” Nurcahyo added.
Public Impact and Global Scrutiny
The case has sent shockwaves through Indonesia’s education sector, once hailed as a model for digital transformation under Nadiem’s leadership. The questioning of Google Indonesia’s executive underscores potential foreign corporate influence in national procurement policies.
Observers say the case could expand further, as prosecutors continue tracing financial flows and decision-making processes involving both government officials and private corporations linked to the project.
Public attention is now fixed on whether the AGO will name new suspects as investigators dig deeper into what has become one of the largest education corruption cases in Indonesia’s history. (AT Network)
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