Google denies bribing officials of Indonesia’s Ministry of Education

Google has denied making use of its ties with Nadiem Makarim to win the Indonesian government’s contracts, even as prosecutors in Indonesia alleged that the Gojek founder caused state losses of 2.1 trillion rupiah (over US$125 million) during his time as the country’s education minister.

The 41-year-old, who assumed the role from 2019 to 2022, was accused of overpricing the procurement of Google’s Chromebooks and Chrome Device Management systems by the same amount, together with three officials and a former special staffer.

“We have not offered, promised or provided benefits to Ministry of Education officials in exchange for their decision to adopt Google products,” the company said in a recent statement.

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This comes as the tech giant clarified that while it made investments in Gojek-related entities between 2017 and 2021, the bulk of those fundings were made before Nadiem became a minister.

“These investments in Gojek-related entities have no relationship to our longstanding efforts to improve the educational landscape in Indonesia or our dealings with the Ministry of Education in connection with our products and services,” Google said.

Earlier this week, Nadiem told a Jakarta courtroom that he denied enriching himself while becoming a minister. His wealth instead declined.

“I lost the opportunity to receive additional shares granted to Gojek executives after my departure,” he said on January 5. “I lost my large salary.”

See also: Read: Nadiem Makarim’s defense statement on corruption claims

Google in the same statement also said the procurement was “managed entirely by the independent original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and local partners.”

“This ecosystem ensures the Ministry of Education maintains full control and transparency over competitive hardware sourcing from local suppliers,” the company said.

“These devices comply with Ministry regulations and procurement guidelines (DAK Fisik) from the Ministry of Education calling for holistic solutions, such as pairing devices with infrastructure like routers and electricity verification,” it added.