Overview
- Prosecutors in Jakarta on Wednesday asked the court to jail Nadiem Makarim for 18 years, impose a 1 billion rupiah fine, and seize assets tied to the pandemic-era Chromebook procurement.
- Judges shifted Makarim to house arrest after Monday’s hearing due to health concerns and a planned surgery, with a verdict expected in the coming weeks.
- A consultant in the case, Ibrahim Arief, was sentenced to four years on Tuesday in a split decision that acquitted him of taking kickbacks but found his advice contributed to losses.
- Prosecutors say the ministry shaped tender rules to fit Google’s Chrome system despite a 2018 study that warned Chromebooks need steady internet access that many Indonesian schools lack.
- The case cites 2.18 trillion rupiah in state losses and 809 billion rupiah in gains to Makarim, which he denies, as he argues the push could chill foreign investment and deter private-sector talent from public service.