Indonesia Court to Hear Nadiem Makarim's First Chromebook Graft Appeal

Indonesia's former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Anwar Makarim, is set to face the first appeal hearing for his conviction in the Chromebook procurement corruption case. The DKI Jakarta High Court will hear the case on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

Makarim's lawyer, Zaid Mushafi, stated that the appeal brief aims to challenge the judicial considerations made in the initial ruling. The legal team specifically contests the court's findings regarding the granting of power of attorney for Makarim's shares in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB) and PT Gojek Indonesia. "In this appeal petition, we ask the High Court panel of judges to rehear the case and re-examine the facts that formed the basis of the judgment at the court of first instance," Mushafi said.

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has also decided to appeal the Corruption Court's verdict. A key point for the AGO's appeal is Makarim's current house arrest status. The former minister was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption related to the 2019-2022 education digitalization program, specifically the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) systems.

In addition to the prison term, Makarim was ordered to pay a fine of Rp1 billion and restitution of Rp809.59 billion. The restitution amount stems from his proven receipt of funds from PT AKAB, a company that received substantial investment from Google. The court found Makarim guilty of abusing his authority, leading to a state financial loss of Rp1.56 trillion. The corruption involved procurement practices inconsistent with established principles and planning, and Makarim was found to have acted in collusion with other convicted individuals and a fugitive.

“

In this appeal petition, we ask the High Court panel of judges to rehear the case and re-examine the facts that formed the basis of the judgment at the court of first instance