January 17, 2026 | 03:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In early January 2026, a video circulated on Twitter or X [archive] and Facebook claiming that former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim handed over money to former President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
The 15-second video shows three men. One of the men claims that Nadiem Makarim handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi in the presence of his two sons, Kaesang Pangarep and Gibran Rakabuming Raka. This is related to the Chromebook procurement project, which has implicated Nadiem as a defendant in an alleged corruption case. The man urges the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to prosecute Indonesia's 7th president immediately.
This article will verify two things. First, is the video of a man accusing Nadiem Makarim of handing Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi real? Second, is Nadiem's statement about the bribe to Jokowi true?
Fact Check
Tempo verified the video by using Google's reverse image search feature and credible media reports.
Video Verification
The circulating clip actually originates from a video titled "Gempur KPK, Tangkap & Judi Jokowi" (Attack KPK, Arrest & Gamble Jokowi) that aired on Reborn TV on September 29, 2025. The full video is 15 minutes and 19 seconds long. It calls on the public to demonstrate in front of the KPK building on October 2, 2025.
Eka Jaya, the chair of Lawyers for the People's Defenders (PEJABAT), is the man speaking in the clip. The circulating clip intentionally cuts out the footage from 7:28 to 9:39, during which Eka discusses the procurement of Chromebooks during Education Minister Nadiem Makarim's tenure.
In the full video, the man says:
Let us accompany those present on October 2, 2025, to the KPK building from 1 PM until the end of the event. Yes, we will put pressure on the KPK to arrest Jokowi and his accomplices decisively. Because Jokowi is the root of the destruction of this nation. ………….. Whatever it is, both from various things, especially recently, the issue of Hajj funds, which were corrupted extraordinarily by the Minister of Religious Affairs, former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut, and also Jokowi. 84,000 Hajj pilgrims this year were unable to depart because their rights were seized and robbed by Jokowi and Yaqut.
That's not even close. What about Raja Ampat, which has already been drained? Not to mention the deposits. Nadiem Makarim said, "I have already handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi, witnessed by Kaesang and his son, Gibran." What else could he possibly need? Try the KPK. If they can't accomplish that, the KPK leadership should step down in an orderly fashion and be replaced by good people…..
Did Nadiem Makarim really say that he handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi?
As of this article's publication, there is no evidence that Nadiem Makarim stated he handed Rp450 trillion over in Chromebook procurement funds to Jokowi.
Similarly, during the trial for the alleged corruption in the Chromebook laptop procurement, no evidence of gratuities or payments to Jokowi amounting to Rp450 trillion emerged. This sum far exceeds the Rp9.3 trillion value of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology's procurement project for the 2019–2022 period. Total losses in the Chromebook laptop corruption case are estimated at Rp1.9 trillion.
According to a Tempo report, former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim mentioned former President Jokowi while delivering his personal statement at the Corruption Court, Central Jakarta District Court, on Monday, January 5, 2026.
At that time, however, Nadiem was explaining the difficult task Jokowi had given him: to quickly implement digitalization in education. "Pak Jokowi gave me a difficult yet important task: to swiftly digitize education so Indonesian children wouldn't be left behind in the digital era," Nadiem said. He did not claim to have handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi in the presence of his two children.
Conclusion
According to Tempo's investigation, the claim that an activist stated that Nadiem Makarim handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi is misleading.
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