Nadiem Makarim drops Hotman Paris in IDR 1.98 Trillion Laptop Corruption Case
Indonesia’s former Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, has ceased legal portrayal from prominent lawyer Hotman Paris in connection with a corruption examination surrounding a digital education program. the case, involving approximately IDR 1.98 trillion (roughly $125 million USD), centers on the procurement of laptops for educational purposes between 2019 and 2022.
The decision to part ways with Hotman Paris was communicated by Makarim’s attorney, Dodi S. Abdulkadir, who stated the family persistent Hotman Paris’s time was better allocated to other legal matters.”I know from the family that Mr. Hotman was not appointed again because they thought that Mr. Hotman should handle other cases,” Abdulkadir told journalists on Sunday, November 23rd.
in place of Hotman Paris, the Makarim family has retained the services of Ari Yusuf Amir and his legal team. abdulkadir confirmed that Makarim will now be represented by two distinct legal teams during the trial: his own firm, MRP, and the team led by Ari Yusuf Amir.”now,at the time of prosecution,the power of attorney is from the MRP office and Mr. Ari Yusuf’s office,” Abdulkadir explained.
Ari Yusuf Amir corroborated this information, stating his team was officially granted power of attorney by the Makarim family on november 17, 2025. “we met with his family and his wife. Then they were invited to a meeting by all their families and also had a meeting with the previous team, Mr. Dodi’s team. After a new understanding, they were officially appointed by them and given power of attorney,” Amir stated.
The shift in legal counsel comes after the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) named Makarim and four other individuals as suspects in the case. A pretrial attempt by Makarim was officially rejected by the South Jakarta district Court on October 10,2025. The case has since been transferred to the public prosecutor (JPU) at the Central jakarta District Prosecutor’s Office (Kejari) following the completion of the investigation phase.
Currently,the legal process is focused on drafting an indictment,after which the case files will be submitted to the Central Jakarta Corruption Court for trial. The outcome of this case will undoubtedly have significant implications for Makarim’s political future and the ongoing efforts to modernize Indonesia’s education system.
Why, Who, What, and How did it end?
Why: Nadiem Makarim changed legal counsel due to the family believing hotman paris’s time was better spent on other cases. The shift occurred after Makarim was named a suspect in a corruption investigation.
Who: Nadiem Makarim, former Minister of Education, is the central figure. Hotman Paris was his previous lawyer, and Ari Yusuf Amir is now leading one of the legal teams representing him. Dodi S. Abdulkadir is makarim’s attorney and facilitated the change. the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) and the south Jakarta District court are also key players.
What: The case involves alleged corruption related to the procurement of laptops for a digital education program between 2019 and
