This Tuesday Nadiem Makarim Reads Pleidoi for 18 Years in Prison

JAKARTA - The Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the period 2019-2024 Nadiem Anwar Makarim will read the plea alias defense note for the 18-year prison sentence against him, at the Corruption Court at the Jakpus PN, Tuesday.

Nadiem is one of the defendants in the case of alleged corruption in the education digitization program in the form of the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) in the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2019-2022.

Based on the PN Jakpus Case Tracking Information System (SIPP), the trial will be held at 10.00 WIB in the Muhammad Hatta Ali courtroom, chaired by Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah.

Later, the pleidoi will be read one by one by Nadiem personally and his team of lawyers. The agenda will also be broadcast live by the Jakarta Central District Court through the YouTube account @PengadilanNegeriJakartaPusat.

Previously, Nadiem Makarim was charged with a prison sentence of 18 years, a fine of Rp1 billion, a substitute for 190 days in prison, and a substitute for Rp5.67 trillion, a substitute for 9 years in prison.

In that case, he was charged with corruption that caused losses to state finances worth Rp2.18 trillion.

The corruption was allegedly carried out, among others, by carrying out the procurement of learning facilities based on information and communication technology in the form of Chromebook laptops and CDM in the 2020, 2021, and 2022 budget years, which is not in accordance with the procurement planning and procurement principles.

The founder of one of the technology companies was charged with committing the act together with three other defendants in a different trial, namely Ibrahim Arief alias Ibam, Mulyatsyah and Sri Wahyuningsih as well as Jurist Tan, who is currently still at large.

In detail, the losses caused by the state include Rp1.56 trillion related to the education digitization program at the Ministry of Education and Culture, as well as US$ 621.39 billion due to unnecessary and useless digitization programs.

With this act, Nadiem is suspected of having received money amounting to IDR 809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB) through PT Gojek Indonesia.

It is stated that most of PT AKAB's money comes from Google's investment of US$786.99 million.

This can be seen from Nadiem's wealth which is recorded in the State-level Wealth Report (LHKPN) in 2022, namely there is an acquisition of property in the form of securities worth IDR 5.59 trillion.

For his actions, the former Minister of Law and Human Rights was charged with Article 2 paragraph (1) or Article 3 jo Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.