Nadiem Makarim / Photo provided
Nadiem Makarim, co-founder of Gojek and former Indonesian education minister, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison during his verdict hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday.
The court fined him 1 billion rupiah (US$56,000), with a substitute sentence of 190 days in detention if the fine is unpaid. Makarim was also ordered to pay 809 billion rupiah (US$45 million) in restitution, facing an additional five years in prison if he fails to pay.
Makarim was charged over his involvement in the education ministry’s procurement of 1.2 million Chromebook laptops for schools between 2019 and 2022. He served as Indonesia’s education minister from 2019 to 2024.
Prosecutors alleged that Makarim abused his authority as minister to benefit Google, in violation of Indonesia’s anti-corruption laws. The procurement caused state losses totaling 1.5 trillion rupiah (US$83.7 million), according to authorities.
The procurement program was launched to accelerate the adoption of technology in classrooms by distributing laptops to schools across the archipelago.
Makarim had previously denied the allegations, insisting that there was no evidence that he had personally benefited from the program. He also rejected claims that the procurement caused state losses and benefited certain companies.
In May, education ministry consultant Ibrahim Arief – who previously served as Bukalapak’s vice president of engineering and R&D – was sentenced to four years in prison for his involvement in the same case. He was also given a fine of 500 million rupiah (US$28,000) after the court found him guilty under Indonesia’s anti-corruption law.
Makarim founded Gojek in 2010 together with Michaelangelo Moran and Kevin Aluwi. He served as the company’s CEO until stepping down in 2019 to become education minister under President Joko Widodo’s administration.
See also: The Nadiem effect on investors, talent, and Indonesia
Currency converted from Indonesian rupiah to US dollar: US$1 = 17,900 rupiah.
Editing by Lorenzo Kyle Subido
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