They alleged the procurement between 2019 and 2022 was flawed, arguing it did not go through a proper feasibility assessment, and said the actions were carried out with three other defendants who are also on trial. They alleged that Makarim received about 809 billion rupiah in connection with the procurement decision, and that he sought to conceal a conflict of interest, pointing to investment ties between Google and companies he founded before becoming a minister.
(May 13): Indonesian prosecutors opened proceedings in a graft trial against former education minister Nadiem Makarim over the procurement of Chromebooks for use in schools, alleging the project caused 2.1 trillion rupiah (US$125 million or $159.1 million) in state losses.
Prosecutors at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday read out charges accusing Makarim of abusing his authority in the ministry’s education digitalisation programme, which involved Chromebooks and a device management service that they said effectively made Alphabet Inc unit Google a gatekeeper of part of Indonesia’s education ecosystem.
