The Battle Between Nadiem and Prosecutors Moves to the Cassation Arena

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The corruption case involving the alleged procurement of Chromebook laptops, which has ensnared former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim, continues to unfold.

After the Jakarta High Court softened Nadiem's sentence, both parties have filed for cassation to the Supreme Court (MA).

Nadiem is seeking cassation because he has been found guilty. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor has filed cassation based on the belief that the court's ruling did not meet the prosecutor's demands.

The case began with a ruling from the Central Jakarta Corruption Court.

On June 30, 2026, the panel of judges led by Purwanto S Abdullah declared that Nadiem was proven guilty of committing corruption in collaboration, as per the prosecutor's charges.

Nadiem was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RP 1 billion, with a subsidiary sentence of 190 days.

In addition to the main sentence, the judges imposed an additional payment of RP 809.59 billion.

If this compensation is not paid, Nadiem's assets may be seized and auctioned off. If this amount is insufficient, the obligation will be substituted with an additional prison sentence.

Both sides appealed the verdict through legal channels.

As a result, the Jakarta High Court modified several aspects of Nadiem's punishment.

In its ruling on September 24, 2026, the panel led by Subachran Hardi Mulyono sentenced him to 9 years in prison.

This means Nadiem's sentence was reduced by one year compared to the Central Jakarta District Court's ruling.

The fine remained at RP 1 billion, but the subsidiary sentence was reduced from 190 days to 140 days in prison.

The Jakarta High Court also cut the compensation amount to RP 548.76 billion, down from the previous RP 809.59 billion.

The judges considered several mitigating factors for Nadiem, including his respectful demeanor during the trial, lack of prior convictions, responsibilities, and his contribution to job creation in the transportation sector.