TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Google has addressed the summons of two of its employees as witnesses in an alleged corruption case involving the procurement of Chromebooks by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology between 2019 and 2022.
"Although we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation, we are committed to complying with all applicable laws, including those in Indonesia," Google said in a statement sent to Tempo on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Google also reaffirmed its commitment to empowering Indonesian students and teachers and expanding access to education and technology across the archipelago.
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) previously announced that investigators planned to question Google's Marketing team today. Prosecutors familiar with the investigation identified the individual as Ganis Samoedra Murharyono.
Another scheduled witness was from Google's Public Relations team, whose identity was not disclosed by the AGO. The Public Relations team reportedly requested a postponement of their examination.
Harli Siregar, Head of the AGO's Legal Information Center, explained that the purpose of questioning Google's representatives is to investigate the bidding process that led to the selection of Chromebooks over Windows devices for the Ministry of Education's procurement during Minister Nadiem Makarim's tenure.
The AGO alleges unlawful actions in the procurement, which is valued at Rp9.9 trillion, with Rp6.3 trillion sourced from special allocation funds. According to prosecutors, an April 2020 technical study recommended Windows, citing concerns about Chromebooks' reliance on a stable internet connection, which is inconsistent with Indonesia's uneven network coverage.
However, a subsequent technical study review in June 2020 highlighted the advantages of Chromebooks, leading to their procurement. The AGO is also investigating the substance of a meeting held on May 6, 2020, which occurred between these two technical studies.
To date, the AGO has questioned approximately 40 witnesses, including former Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim, his former special staff Fiona Handayani, and former consultant to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, Ibrahim Arif.
Another former special staff to Nadiem, Jurist Tan, has been summoned three times but has not responded as he is currently abroad. The AGO has requested a travel ban for these four individuals.
Editor's Choice: AGO Probes Two Witnesses in Chromebook Corruption Case
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