ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Indonesia’s former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday after the Jakarta Corruption Court found him guilty of corruption in a controversial procurement program for Chromebook-based laptops that caused state losses estimated at IDR2.1 trillion (around US$130 million).
The panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court ruled that Nadiem had abused his authority in the procurement of Chromebook laptops under the national education digitalization program, declaring that he acted jointly with other officials involved in the project.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court imposed a IDR1 billion fine. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional 190 days of imprisonment.
The judges also ordered Nadiem to pay Rp809 billion in restitution. If the amount cannot be recovered, he will face an additional five years in prison.
The verdict was significantly lighter than prosecutors’ demand. Earlier, the prosecution had sought an 18-year prison sentence, a Rp1 billion fine, and more than IDR5.68 trillion in restitution.
According to prosecutors, the Chromebook procurement project caused IDR2.1 trillion in state losses. The losses stemmed from both the procurement of Chromebook laptops and the acquisition of Chrome Device Management (CDM) software, which prosecutors argued was unnecessary for the Education Ministry’s Digital Education Program.
The court heard that the procurement process failed to undergo proper feasibility studies and planning. Prosecutors also argued that Chromebook devices were unsuitable for many schools, particularly those in Indonesia’s remote, frontier and underdeveloped regions, where limited internet connectivity prevented the devices from functioning effectively.
Three other former Education Ministry officials were prosecuted alongside Nadiem over the procurement project.
The ruling marks one of Indonesia’s most significant corruption convictions involving a former cabinet minister and raises fresh scrutiny over the management of large-scale public digital transformation projects. (AT Network)
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