Prosecutors Allege White-Collar Crime Scheme in Nadiem Makarim Case

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office allege a white-collar crime scheme in the corruption case involving Chromebook procurement that has named former education minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim as a defendant.

In a written statement on Thursday, prosecutor Roy Riady said the alleged scheme exploited bureaucratic loopholes and official authority for Nadiem’s personal benefit.

“The scheme took advantage of bureaucratic gaps and positions of authority for Nadiem’s personal gain,” Roy said.

He added that the defendant used his authority to create an opaque decision-making system.

“Instead of strengthening the existing bureaucracy, he built a decision-making mechanism outside formal channels, which ultimately led to commercial benefits for certain parties,” he said.

Alleged Shadow Organization

The prosecution also alleged a structured conflict of interest, claiming that Nadiem did not operate within a healthy bureaucratic system but instead formed an informal “shadow organization” outside the ministry’s official structure.

According to the prosecutors, the entity is strongly suspected of directing policy decisions for private business interests linked to his technology-affiliated corporate network.

Disputed Wealth and Investment Flow

The prosecution further pointed to what it described as irregularities in Nadiem’s reported wealth, which it said was disproportionate to his official income as a state official.

Court proceedings allegedly revealed links between the Chromebook procurement case and fraud in the management of PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB), involving major external investments.

Prosecutors said Google invested around US$786 million (approximately Rp11 trillion), but the figure was recorded as only Rp60 billion in administrative reports.

“We see a scheme to obscure the real value in order to avoid taxes and conceal conflicts of interest,” Roy said.

Allegations Over Unexplained Wealth

The prosecution also criticized Nadiem for not using the reverse burden of proof mechanism to fully explain the origin of his assets.

They said he was often unwilling to provide clear answers when questioned about his salary and funding sources allegedly used to influence certain parties.

In addition to an 18-year prison sentence, prosecutors are seeking a Rp1 billion fine (subsidiary 190 days’ imprisonment) and Rp5.67 trillion in restitution, which includes both alleged state losses and unverified wealth.

Failure to pay the restitution would result in an additional nine-year prison term.

The prosecution also strongly objected to testimony presented by three expert witnesses for the defense, arguing that their statements were not independent or objective.

The experts were identified as constitutional law expert I Gede Pantja Astawa, criminal law expert Romli Atmasasmita, and education consultant Ina Liem.

Questions Over Expert Credibility

Prosecutors specifically questioned Romli’s independence, citing family ties to members of Nadiem’s legal team at ADP Law Firm.

They also noted that testimony from I Gede Pantja Astawa had previously been disregarded by judges in another corruption case involving former health minister Siti Fadilah Supari.

Regarding Ina Liem, prosecutors said she appeared more like a social media content creator defending Nadiem than an independent expert, arguing that her explanations lacked academic depth and familiarity with the case details.

Beyond personal ties, prosecutors also criticized the substance of all three expert testimonies, which they said uniformly concluded there was no wrongdoing by Nadiem from administrative, criminal, or policy perspectives.

“The expert testimonies essentially attempt to justify the defendant’s actions without considering the factual evidence presented in court,” Roy said.

Previously, prosecutors accused Nadiem of causing Rp2.18 trillion in state losses through the Education Ministry’s 2019–2022 digitalization program involving Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM).

They alleged the procurement process violated planning procedures and procurement principles, while benefiting certain parties through a structured scheme.

Nadiem is accused of acting alongside three other defendants in separate trials — Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah, and Sri Wahyuningsih — as well as fugitive Jurist Tan.

According to prosecutors, state losses included Rp1.56 trillion tied to the digitalization program and US$44.05 million (around Rp621.39 billion) from allegedly unnecessary CDM procurement.

Prosecutors also alleged that Nadiem received Rp809.59 billion linked to PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia, with most of the funds traced to a US$786.99 million Google investment.

They further pointed to Nadiem’s 2022 state wealth report (LHKPN), which recorded Rp5.59 trillion in securities holdings.

He is charged under Article 2(1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law (Law No. 31/1999 as amended by Law No. 20/2001), along with Article 55(1) of the Criminal Code.

Read: Nadiem Makarim Hugs Gojek Drivers Following 18-Year Jail Demand

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