Former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, was ordered by prosecutors to serve 18 years in prison in the alleged corruption case related to Chromebook procurement in the education digitalization program during a hearing at the Corruption Court in Jakarta (13/5/2026).

The demand was delivered by the Public Prosecutor’s Office during the trial, which also included requests for additional penalties such as fines and financial restitution.

Jaksa Penuntut Umum (JPU) requested that the defendant be immediately detained in a state detention facility as part of the sentencing demand.

Multi-Trillion Rupiah Fines and Alleged State Losses

In addition to the prison sentence, prosecutors also demanded a fine of Rp1 billion with a subsidiary punishment of 190 days of imprisonment if unpaid.

They further requested restitution totaling approximately Rp5.68 trillion, consisting of Rp809.596 billion and Rp4.871 trillion, which prosecutors linked to alleged state financial losses and asset imbalance.

According to the prosecution, the defendant’s wealth was considered inconsistent with legitimate income sources and suspected of being connected to the alleged corruption case.

The prosecutors also stated that if the restitution is not paid, it would be replaced with an additional nine-year prison term.

The total state loss cited in the case was recorded at approximately Rp1.567 trillion, based on the prosecution’s calculation.

Nadiem Makarim Expresses Emotional Reaction After Hearing

Following the hearing, Nadiem Makarim expressed disappointment and emotional distress regarding the severity of the prosecution’s demands.

He described the day as extremely disappointing and stated that he struggled to understand the scale of the requested punishment.

Nadiem questioned why his sentence was considered heavier than those in other serious criminal cases.

He also stated that the restitution amount, which reached trillions of rupiah, was beyond his financial capacity and caused emotional distress.

His wife, Franka Franklin Makarim, was present in court and embraced him after the proceedings.

Court Schedules Plea Hearing for 2 June 2026

The panel of judges has scheduled the plea or defense hearing for 2 June 2026, allowing time for the defendant and legal counsel to prepare their submissions.

The court also noted that the period is intended to support recovery following Nadiem’s recent medical procedure.

Medical officials reportedly indicated that recovery could take approximately three to six weeks.

The judges confirmed that both the defendant and legal representatives will present their defense statements during the upcoming hearing.

Kompas.com reported that the case will continue into the next stage of judicial proceedings as scheduled.

PHOTO: ANTARA

This article was created with AI assistance.

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