ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA — Former Indonesian Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim has formally appealed a 10-year prison sentence imposed by the Jakarta Corruption Court over a multi-billion-rupiah Chromebook procurement case, while his legal team prepares to file an ethics complaint against four judges who presided over the trial.
The appeal marks the latest development in one of Indonesia’s highest-profile corruption cases involving a former cabinet minister and one of the country’s most prominent technology entrepreneurs.
Court records from the Central Jakarta District Court show that Nadiem filed his appeal on July 1, one day after the verdict was delivered. Indonesia’s Attorney General’s Office also filed an appeal on July 2, sending the case to the appellate court for further review.
Nadiem’s lawyer, Ari Yusuf Amir, said the defense will submit a complaint to the Judicial Commission (Komisi Yudisial) on Monday, alleging ethical violations by presiding judge Purwanto S. Abdullah and panel judges Sunoto, Mardiantos, and Eryusmas.
According to the defense, the complaint is based on allegations that the judges violated judicial ethics and failed to properly observe procedural safeguards during the trial, including not giving the defendant and his lawyers an opportunity to formally state their legal position immediately after the verdict was read. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the judges have not publicly responded.
Judge Andi Saputra, who issued a dissenting opinion in the case, is not included in the planned complaint.
Convicted Over School Digitalization Procurement
On June 30, the Jakarta Corruption Court found Nadiem guilty under a subsidiary corruption charge related to the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) software for Indonesia’s school digitalization program during his tenure as education minister.
The court acquitted him of the primary charge but sentenced him to 10 years in prison, imposed a IDR1 billion fine, and ordered him to pay IDR809.6 billion (approximately US$50 million) in restitution. If the restitution is not paid after the ruling becomes legally binding, prosecutors may seize and auction his assets. Should the assets prove insufficient, the court ordered an additional five-year prison term in lieu of payment.
In its ruling, the panel concluded that the procurement process was carried out in a planned, structured, and systematic manner, resulting in substantial state losses and adversely affecting Indonesia’s education sector, particularly schools in remote and underserved regions.
From Tech Icon to Landmark Corruption Trial
Nadiem rose to national prominence after founding Gojek, one of Southeast Asia’s leading technology companies, before joining President Joko Widodo’s Cabinet in 2019 as education minister. During his tenure, he introduced sweeping education reforms, including replacing Indonesia’s long-standing national examinations and accelerating digital transformation in schools.
The Chromebook procurement program later became the subject of a corruption investigation, leading prosecutors to accuse Nadiem of abusing his authority in the procurement process. Throughout the proceedings, Nadiem has denied wrongdoing and maintains that the prosecution is unfounded.
Because both prosecutors and the defense have filed appeals, the conviction has not yet become legally final under Indonesia’s judicial system. The appellate court will now review both the verdict and the sentence, while the planned ethics complaint against members of the trial panel is expected to draw further attention to one of Indonesia’s most closely watched corruption cases. (AT Network)
Follow Us at Google News, WA Channel, and LinkedIn