Prosecutors have sought prison sentences ranging from six to 15 years for three defendants in a corruption case tied to the procurement of Chromebook laptops under Indonesia’s education digitalisation programme, as the case continues to unfold across multiple court hearings.
The defendants are:
- Technology consultant Ibrahim Arief, a former consultant involved in the ministry’s digital education initiatives who previously held roles in the tech sector including at Bukalapak and government-backed education technology programmes GovTech Edu,
- Former elementary school director Sri Wahyuningsih,
- Former junior secondary school director Mulyatsyah
The three have been accused of orchestrating irregularities in the procurement of Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management (CDM) systems at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology between 2019 and 2022.
Prosecutors demanded a 15-year prison sentence for Ibrahim Arief, while seeking six years each for Sri Wahyuningsih and Mulyatsyah. In addition to custodial sentences, prosecutors also sought financial penalties.
Ibrahim Arief was fined 1 billion rupiah (about $58,000), with a subsidiary sentence of 190 days’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid. Sri Wahyuningsih and Mulyatsyah were each fined 500 million rupiah ($29,188), with a subsidiary sentence of 120 days’ imprisonment.
Prosecutors also sought additional penalties for Ibrahim Arief and Mulyatsyah in the form of restitution. Ibrahim Arief was ordered to pay 16.92 billion rupiah ($987,755), with a subsidiary sentence of seven years and six months in prison, while Mulyatsyah faces 2.28 billion rupiah ($133,101) in restitution, with a subsidiary sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
Prosecutors alleged the trio had “abused their authority” and acted “contrary to procurement procedures,” influencing planning and execution in ways that ultimately “caused state losses.” Authorities estimate losses at around 2.1–2.2 trillion rupiah (about $122.6–128.4 million), largely tied to the laptop procurement and related systems spending deemed “not in line with actual needs.”
During the proceedings, which were held on Thursday, Ibrahim Arief expressed surprise at the severity of the charges against him, saying he was “shocked” to face a heavier sentencing demand than government officials involved in the programme.
He maintained that his role was limited and reiterated that he has “arguably been wrongfully accused,” adding that several aspects of the case, particularly technical considerations and procurement decisions, have been “mischaracterised.”
In a separate post on X, Ririe, Ibrahim Arief’s wife said she would continue to challenge the prosecution’s claims through the legal process, arguing that responsibility for the programme cannot be attributed to a single individual, given the multiple layers of approval involved.
Prosecutors, however, argue that the alleged misconduct was carried out in coordination with multiple parties as part of a structured effort to influence the direction of the programme, from early planning through to implementation.
The Chromebook procurement initiative, launched as part of Indonesia’s broader push to digitise education, has come under scrutiny over its vendor selection, pricing, and overall effectiveness. The court is expected to hear further arguments from the defence before delivering a verdict at a later date.
The hearing for Ibrahim Arief and the two other defendants was held on a separate day from proceedings involving former education minister Nadiem Makarim, who testified earlier in the week. Ibrahim Arief and two others were first detained in July 2025, followed by Nadiem in September as the case escalated.
The case traces back to 2020, when officials at the ministry initiated a large-scale ICT procurement programme and opted to use Chrome OS-based devices, despite earlier technical assessments recommending alternative systems. The 9.98 trillion rupiah (around $582.6 million) Chromebook procurement programme was a flagship policy of President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s administration, aimed at digitalising Indonesian classrooms.
Investigators later alleged that the decision was steered early in the planning stage, before formal procurement processes began. The Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation in 2025, naming multiple suspects, including senior officials and consultants, before eventually charging Nadiem as one of the key figures in the case.
Earlier in the week, Nadiem appeared in court as part of the broader probe and pushed back against the state loss figures cited in the case, saying the estimated 2 trillion rupiah ($117 million) loss was “the result of engineering,” suggesting the calculation did not accurately reflect the programme’s implementation.
At the same hearing, he acknowledged gaps in his understanding of government processes, stating that he “did not fully understand the bureaucratic culture” when overseeing the initiative.
Testimony from an auditor at the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) also revealed that the “reasonable price” for a Chromebook unit was around Rp3.67 million ($214), a benchmark used to assess potential discrepancies in procurement pricing. BPKP’s audit findings estimate total state losses at roughly 2.1 trillion rupiah ($122.6 million).
