Tough Day In Detention, Nadiem Makarim: Hard Time Separated From Children, But I Believe God Is On The Truth Side

JAKARTA - Nadiem Makarim, a suspect in the alleged corruption case involving the education digitalization program for the procurement of Chromebook laptops at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) for 2019–2022, admitted to having gone through a difficult time being separated from his children during his detention.

"Thank God, I am healthy, although this is a difficult time for me because I am separated from my family and my four very young children, who still really need their father," Nadiem said at the Central Jakarta District Attorney's Office building, according to Antara, Monday, November 10.

Nevertheless, the former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology admitted that he remains grateful for the strength and health given to him by Allah SWT. He believes that the truth will prevail.

"Because Allah is always on my side, because Allah is always on the side of truth. I ask for prayers from all the people of Indonesia. May Allah grant me justice," he said.

Meanwhile, Nadiem's ​​wife, Franka Franklin, expressed her gratitude to the prosecutor's office for granting the family access to visit Nadiem at the Salemba Detention Center at the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

"My children and I were able to come and visit. So, that really helped. Mr. Nadiem was also able to meet my baby, who is only one year old. So, we are very grateful to have been able to meet with Mr. Nadiem," she said.

Franka hopes the legal process against her husband will proceed smoothly and transparently so that the truth can be revealed.

"I believe that my husband and everyone else have done their best in their jobs, carrying out their duties and responsibilities to the best of their ability, with utmost honesty," she said.

Previously, the Attorney General's Office handed over the files of four suspects in the alleged corruption case involving the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology's Chromebook laptop procurement program for 2019–2022 to the public prosecutor at the Central Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

The four suspects are Sri Wahyuningsih (SW), former Director of Elementary Schools, Directorate of Early Childhood Education (PAUD) and Elementary Schools (Dikdasmen) at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology; Mulyatsyah (MUL), former Director of Junior High Schools, Directorate of Early Childhood Education (PAUD) and Elementary Schools (Dikdasmen) at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology; Nadiem Makarim (NAM), former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology; and Ibrahim Arief (IBAM), an individual consultant for the School Resource Management Technology Infrastructure Improvement Plan at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

Meanwhile, another suspect, Jurist Tan (JT), who served as Special Staff to the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the 2020–2024 period, has not been handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office because he remains a fugitive.