Former Education Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim gave a brief statement to the press late Monday evening, June 23, 2025 after undergoing a 12-hour examination at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) as a witness in the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the Rp9.9 trillion (US$618 million) Chromebook procurement project.
“I have just fulfilled my duty and responsibility as an Indonesian citizen who abides by the rule of law,” Nadiem told reporters outside the Office of Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) building in South Jakarta.
Holding a sheet of paper to his chest, he spoke calmly for just under two minutes and left without taking questions. “I appeared today at the AGO as a citizen who believes that fair and transparent law enforcement is a fundamental pillar of democracy and good governance,” he said.
Nadiem, who served as Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology from 2019 to 2024, arrived at the AGO at 9:10 am local time, accompanied by his legal counsel. He remained inside the building until around 9:00 p.m. His reticence marked a stark contrast to his usually open public demeanor during his terms in office.
AGO Spokesman, Harli Siregar, confirmed that Nadiem was summoned as a witness due to his key role during the Chromebook project’s planning and execution.
“As the highest-ranking official in the ministry at that time, it is essential that investigators hear his testimony, particularly because the project involved significant public funds,” Harli said on June 20, 2025, while noting the project’s estimated cost of Rp9.9 trillion.
The investigation focuses on a national laptop distribution initiative launched through Ministerial Regulation No. 5/2021, under which 1.38 million Chrome OS-based laptops were supplied to 79,000 schools from early childhood to senior high school levels. The procurement was funded by both the ministry’s budget and the Special Allocation Fund (DAK).
However, the AGO has identified a number of irregularities. Among the findings were misuse of DAK funds that legally require proposals from regional governments without such a process, and indications of collusion in directing technical teams to produce studies justifying the use of Chromebooks.
Further testimonies from three of Nadiem’s former special staff identified as Ibrahim, Fiona, and Jurist Tan have revealed potentially criminal practices, including procurement without tender and significant price mark-ups. Investigators claim the laptops were valued at around Rp4 million per unit but were listed at up to Rp10 million.
According to Harli, prosecutors have also begun examining private and group communications between Makarim and his staff, in an effort to determine whether there was coordination or knowledge of the procurement irregularities.
Current Minister of Primary and Secondary Education,Abdul Mu’ti, has clarified that the Chromebook initiative was a legacy policy from Nadiem’s term. “It was a policy purely of Mas Nadiem’s era and has no connection with the current administration,” Mu’ti told reporters on May 30, 2025.
Nadiem, also known as the founder of tech company Gojek, had previously defended the initiative as a step toward digital equity in education, asserting that the laptops would support teaching and learning capacity across the country.
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