Indonesian court gives Nadiem Makarim 10 years in graft case
The former education minister and Gojek co-founder was convicted over a school laptop procurement programme during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
An Indonesian court sentenced former Education Minister Nadiem Makarim to 10 years in prison on Tuesday after finding him guilty in a corruption case tied to school laptop purchases. The verdict puts one of Indonesia’s best-known technology entrepreneurs at the center of a major public procurement scandal, AFP and Reuters reported.
Judges at the Jakarta anti-corruption court convicted Makarim over the acquisition of Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah said the panel found Makarim guilty of abusing his authority and causing losses to the state, according to AFP and Reuters.
The court found that the case caused about $120 million in state losses. It ordered Makarim to pay a Rp1 billion fine, equivalent to about $55,850, and Rp809 billion in restitution, more than $45 million, or face additional prison time, AFP and Reuters reported.
The judges did not find Makarim guilty of directly trying to enrich himself, according to the reports.
Procurement case centered on Chromebooks
Prosecutors said Makarim’s decision to buy laptops running Google’s ChromeOS was connected to the US company’s investment in Gojek, AFP and Reuters reported. Google was not charged in the case and has denied wrongdoing.
Prosecutors had asked the court to impose an 18-year prison term and Rp5.68 trillion, about $313 million, in restitution, according to AFP and Reuters.
Makarim has denied wrongdoing throughout the case and said he would appeal the verdict. After the ruling, he said the judges could not look him in the eye and added that he could not pay the amount ordered by the court, AFP and Reuters reported.
The former minister has argued that the procurement saved public money and described the case as an investigative mistake. In his defence this month, he said experts and witnesses had stated there was no state loss, no legal violation, no self-enrichment and no malicious intent, according to AFP and Reuters.
From Gojek founder to cabinet minister
Makarim, 41, co-founded Gojek in 2010. AFP and Reuters reported that the company began as a call centre with 20 motorcycle drivers and grew into a major ride-hailing and delivery platform.
He entered government in 2019 as one of Indonesia’s youngest cabinet ministers and served as education minister until 2024, according to AFP and Reuters. Makarim has said he joined the government to encourage professionals to enter public service.
GoTo Group, created when Gojek merged with Tokopedia in 2021, said Makarim had no decision-making role at the company after he resigned in 2019, AFP and Reuters reported.
The case also carries a personal connection to Indonesia’s anti-corruption institutions. AFP and Reuters reported that Makarim’s lawyer father once served on the ethics committee of the country’s anti-corruption body.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.