An Indonesian court sentenced Nadiem Makarim, former Minister of Education and co-founder of the Gojek application, to 10 years in prison after ruling him guilty of corruption in the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, causing state losses exceeding 125 million U.S. dollars. Nadiem maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.
Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Court issued its verdict today (30 Jun), sentencing 41-year-old Nadiem Makarim, former Minister of Education and co-founder of the prominent Asian super app Gojek, to 10 years in prison for corruption and misconduct in office.
Besides the prison term, the court fined Makarim 1 billion rupiah (about 1.85 million baht) and ordered him to pay compensation to the state amounting to 809 billion rupiah (approximately 1.5 billion baht). If he fails to pay these fines and damages, he will face additional imprisonment, which Makarim said could extend his total jail time to nearly 15 years.
The case arose during 2021-2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecutors charged that Makarim abused his authority to benefit Google, a major investor in Gojek, in the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools nationwide. He allegedly drafted bid specifications that restricted compatibility to the ChromeOS system only, effectively giving Google exclusive control over Indonesia's educational ecosystem. Prosecutors claimed Makarim personally profited up to 46.3 million U.S. dollars (around 1.54 billion baht) from the deal, causing state losses estimated between 120 and 125 million U.S. dollars (approximately 3.98 to 4.15 billion baht).
Prosecutors also noted the procurement project violated a 2018 ministry directive stating that computers must rely on internet access, which is unsuitable for remote Indonesian schools lacking connectivity. Despite this, the ministry under Makarim proceeded with the purchases after he met Google representatives in 2020.
After the verdict, Nadiem Makarim, who arrived at court with his wife Friska Makarim, told the media he is innocent and that the Chromebook procurement actually saved state funds. He denied any connection between Google's investment in Gojek and the government project.
Makarim said, "I was sentenced based on completely unfounded facts. The four judges who sentenced me to 10 years didn’t even dare to look me in the eye. I told the court I sacrificed a lot to serve the country, but the reward I received was iron bars." His lawyer confirmed they will appeal the case. Google and the GoTo group have not been charged and deny involvement in the matter.
The court atmosphere was chaotic as many Gojek drivers wearing the brand’s signature green jackets and numerous supporters gathered to show their support, holding signs saying "We stand with Nadiem" and shouting "Nadiem is innocent!" Makarim was visibly moved as he embraced the drivers.
Several analysts and activists suggested the case might be a politically motivated use of anti-corruption processes to target opponents, viewing Makarim as an ally of former President Joko Widodo, similar to other former ministers who were convicted but later pardoned.
Usman Hamid, director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said older generations see Makarim as a symbol of change but he fell into a bureaucratic trap with structural problems. Young political activist Andovi Da Lopez warned the verdict could instill fear among youth and private sector experts, discouraging cooperation with the government due to concerns over fabricated charges and becoming the next victim.