Nadiem Makarim asks court to summon six witnesses in Chromebook corruption case

In a Jakarta Corruption Court hearing on Monday, April 13, 2026, a significant legal maneuver unfolded in the ongoing corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebooks for the Ministry of Education. The legal team representing former Minister Nadiem Makarim formally requested the court to summon six individuals they deem crucial for clarifying the case. This move signals a strategic effort by the defense to introduce further testimony they believe will exonerate Makarim.

The list of requested witnesses includes prominent figures such as Iwan Syahril, Special Staff for Learning Affairs; Dr. Ainun Na'im; Olivia Husli Basrin, Country Lead for Google Cloud Education; Putri Ratu Alam, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at PT Google Indonesia; Kautsar Anggakara, a former Senior Temporary Laborer Designer at PT Telkom; and Hendrik Tio, Director of PT Bhinneka Mentari Dimensi. The defense argues that their presence is vital, with lawyer Dody S. Abdulkadir specifically stating that witnesses like Putri Ratu Alam could attest that there was no illicit agreement with Google, characterizing interactions as merely routine ministerial engagements.

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Witnesses such as Putri Ratu Alam can explain that there was no agreement with Google. It was just a normal process, like Google meeting with other ministers.

However, the prosecution, represented by Public Prosecutor Roy Riady, countered the defense's request. Riady asserted that the evidence already presented is substantial and convincing, deeming the additional witnesses unnecessary. This opposition highlights the prosecution's confidence in their existing case and their reluctance to allow further testimony that could potentially complicate or delay proceedings. The court must now weigh the defense's arguments for the necessity of these witnesses against the prosecution's claims of evidentiary sufficiency.

Adding a layer of complexity, it was noted that two of the requested individuals, Hendrik Tio and Putri Ratu Alam, have already testified in related proceedings concerning the same Chromebook case but involving three other defendants. These defendants, Sri Wahyuningsih, Mulyatsyah, and Ibrahim Arief, are awaiting sentencing hearings next week. The court's decision on whether to compel the appearance of these six witnesses will be a critical juncture in the trial, potentially influencing the direction and outcome of the case against Nadiem Makarim.

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In Pak Nadiem's case, we believe that the evidence we presented is sufficient, Your Honor, and has been convincing.