January 9, 2026 | 11:14 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian judge has warned that corruption committed during the COVID-19 pandemic could carry the death penalty, amid a high-profile trial over the Ministry of Education’s procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM) systems.
Judge Andi Saputra delivered the warning while questioning witnesses at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday, January 8, 2025.
The trial involves alleged irregularities in Indonesia’s procurement of Chromebooks between 2020 and 2022 and has drawn national attention because it implicates former Education Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim and other senior officials. Prosecutors claim the case caused state losses of Rp2.1 trillion (around US$140 million).
Judge Andi reminded former Ministry of Education High School Director Purwadi Sutanto that corruption during a national disaster or economic crisis can carry the death penalty.
“Corruption can be punishable by death if committed repeatedly, during an economic crisis, or during a national disaster,” he said while questioning Purwadi, who admitted receiving $7,000 (around Rp100 million) during the program.
Purwadi explained that at the time, schools were not holding in-person classes due to COVID-19, and students were required to study from home using electronic devices.
Judge Andi highlighted the severity of the situation: “COVID-19 was declared a non-natural national disaster. Many people lost their jobs, it was hard to find work, and the economy was affected. Do you remember that situation?” Purwadi confirmed.
Judge Andi asked similar questions to Muhammad Hasbi, the former Director of Early Childhood Education, who admitted receiving Rp250 million but had not reported it through the government’s anti-gratuity mechanism.
Alleged Mismanagement and State Losses
In addition to Purwadi and Hasbi, the defendants include Mulyatsyah, former junior high school director in 2020; Sri Wahyuningsih, elementary school director in 2020–2021; and Ibrahim Arief, a Ministry of Education consultant.
Former Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim is also implicated, although his trial remains at the stage of examining objections to the indictment and has been delayed twice for health reasons.
Prosecutors allege that the defendants, together with Jurist Tan—special staff to the Minister of Education who remains at large—procured Chromebooks and CDM systems in 2020, 2021, and 2022 without proper planning or reference to the actual needs of Indonesia’s primary and secondary schools.
The indictment states that the program failed, particularly in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions.
Prosecutors also claim that the defendants set unit prices and budget allocations without proper surveys or data, which were then used as references for the 2021 and 2022 budgets.
Furthermore, the Chromebooks were procured through Indonesia’s e-Catalogue and the School Procurement Information System (SIPLah) without adequate price evaluation or reference.
Read: Ex-Education Official Admits Taking US$7,000 in Chromebook Corruption Case
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