In Chromebook case plea, Nadiem claims Rp3.9 trillion savings
At the Jakarta corruption trial, the defendant also denied direct involvement in procurement and asked to be acquitted on all counts.
Former Education, Culture, Research and Technology Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim defended the Chromebook procurement policy in his plea at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday (2/6). In his written defense, Nadiem said the choice of Chrome OS saved at least Rp3.9 trillion from the budget because the cost of purchasing Windows-based and Chrome OS laptops was said to be Rp98 million per school, while Windows devices reached Rp148 million per school. He also rejected claims that the Chromebooks were left unused, citing a BPKP audit that he said showed 95 percent of students, 86 percent of teachers and 57 percent of school principals were still using the devices in 2023-2024. Nadiem denied signing procurement documents and said the shift to fully Chrome OS happened at the technical team level. Earlier, prosecutors sought an 18-year prison term and a Rp1 billion fine, with an additional 190 days in jail if unpaid.