Indonesian prosecutors have demanded an 18-year prison sentence for Nadiem Makarim, the former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Mendikbudristek), following allegations of corruption related to the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) for the 2020-2022 fiscal year.
During a hearing at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, prosecutor Roy Riady stated, “I demand that the panel of judges declare the defendant, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of committing corruption offenses together.”
Details of the Corruption Allegations
The prosecution asserts that Makarim committed these offenses alongside several other defendants: Jurist Tan, Sri Wahyuningsih, Mulyatsyah, and Ibrahim Arief (also known as Ibam). The charges involve the violation of multiple laws, including Article 603 and Article 18 of the Corruption Law, and Article 20 letter c of Law No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP). Makarim is further charged under Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 in conjunction with Article 18 of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption Crimes and Article 55 paragraph (1) point 1 of the Criminal Code.
The prosecutor alleges that Makarim enriched himself by Rp 809.59 million and further enriched 12 private companies serving as Chromebook vendors.
State Losses and Financial Penalties
The scale of the alleged corruption is significant, with prosecutors claiming the state suffered losses totaling Rp 2.18 trillion. This figure is broken down as follows:
- Rp 1.56 trillion: Losses from the procurement of Chromebook laptops, as determined by the State Audit Board (BPKP).
- Rp 621.38 billion (US$ 44.054 million): Losses stemming from the procurement of Chrome Device Management, calculated using the lowest exchange rate between August 2020 and December 2022.
In addition to the requested 18-year prison term, the prosecutor has demanded a fine of Rp 1 billion. Should Makarim fail to pay this fine, it may be replaced by a prison sentence of 190 days (approximately 6.2 months).
Compensation and Asset Seizure
The prosecution is also seeking massive financial compensation from Makarim totaling Rp 5.6 trillion (specifically Rp 5,681,066,728,758). This total comprises two sums: Rp 809 billion (Rp 809,596,125,000) and Rp 4.8 trillion (Rp 4,871,469,603,758).
Prosecutor Roy Riady indicated that Makarim’s assets could be seized and auctioned to satisfy this compensation. If the payment is not made, the prosecutor stated that it would be replaced with a 9-year imprisonment sentence.
Significance and Next Steps
This case highlights the severe legal consequences facing former high-ranking officials involved in large-scale procurement scandals. The combination of a lengthy prison demand and multi-trillion rupiah compensation requests underscores the gravity of the alleged state losses.
Moving forward, the panel of judges will determine whether Makarim is guilty and what penalties will be applied. A possible next step involves the court deciding on the seizure of assets to cover the demanded compensation if the financial obligations are not met.