The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) said that the Rp 9.98 trillion (US$613 million) Chromebook procurement project at the then Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) between 2019 and 2022 deviated from initial legal recommendations provided by the Office of Junior Attorney General for Civil and Administrative Affairs (Jamdatun).

AGO spokesman, Harli Siregar, revealed that Jamdatun had not approved the substance of the project, but only offered normative legal advice to ensure the process followed the law and principles of good governance.

“From the beginning, the technical team recommended the use of Windows-based systems. However, this was changed to Chromebooks. This shift is one of the focal points of the current investigation,” Harli told reporters at the AGO office on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

The statement directly counters earlier remarks made by former Education Minister, Nadiem Makarim, who expressed surprise that the project is now under corruption scrutiny. During a press conference Tuesday morning, Nadiem claimed that the AGO had been involved in providing legal guidance throughout the process.

“We invited Jamdatun from the beginning to provide oversight and legal assistance,” Nadiem said, accompanied by his high-profile lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, who cited a letter dated June 24, 2020, from Jamdatun outlining legal accompaniment for the project.

However, Harli clarified that the letter was merely a general legal opinion, not an endorsement of the project’s execution.

“The AGO’s legal division only advised comparing various product types. It did not greenlight the project or its specifications,” Harli added.

The AGO suspects that the change in specification from Windows-based laptops to Chromebooks was influenced by certain individuals to benefit specific vendors. Investigators are now probing allegations of collusion and unlawful coordination between ministry insiders and suppliers.

“There are indications of deliberate manipulation of technical assessments to favor Chromebooks. This potentially points to a criminal conspiracy,” Harli said.

So far, prosecutors have questioned former special staff member Fiona Handayani and are preparing to summon two other aides. Several electronic documents have also been confiscated as evidence.

Nadiem’s defense

Nadiem, who led the ministry during the project’s roll-out, has denied involvement in the specification changes or any corrupt dealings. His legal team insists that the procurement process followed formal legal channels.

Still, Abdullah a legislator from the Law and Rights Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) called on the AGO to act swiftly and transparently.

“This case touches not only on public funds but also on a vital sector: education. Alleged price mark-ups must be thoroughly investigated. If the evidence is there, suspects must be named without delay,” Abdullah said as quoted in a statement on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.

He called for full cooperation from the ministry, vendors, and anyone involved in the budgetary process.

The Chromebook procurement was part of the ministry’s flagship digital transformation initiative. It was funded through a mix of Rp 3.58 trillion from the Education Unit Operational Funds (DSP) and Rp 6.39 trillion from the Special Allocation Fund (DAK).

Despite its scale, questions had long lingered about the program’s effectiveness. An earlier internal test involving 1,000 Chromebooks in 2019 found the devices unsuitable for areas with limited internet access, prompting the technical team to originally recommend Windows-based alternatives.

That recommendation, however, was later supplanted by a new technical review favoring Chrome OS, which prosecutors now believe may have been orchestrated by those with vested interests.

The AGO confirmed it is still determining who controlled the budget and who first recommended Chromebooks for the project. For now, Harli says the investigation is focused on facts and legal accountability, not public debate.

“This is about evidence, not opinion. Those responsible will be held accountable,” he said.