JAKARTA, Indonesia – A high-profile corruption case that has gripped Indonesia for months reached a major verdict Tuesday, when the nation’s anti-graft court handed a 10-year prison sentence to Nadiem Anwar Makarim, former education minister and co-founder of Southeast Asian tech giant Gojek. The conviction centers on allegations that Makarim abused his cabinet position to steer a massive government laptop purchase toward Google’s Chromebook devices, at a time when Google was evaluating a major investment in Gojek’s parent company.
A five-judge panel at Jakarta’s Corruption Court ruled that Makarim’s actions constituted deliberate, systematic abuse of public office during a period of unprecedented crisis for Indonesia’s education sector. In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Makarim to repay 809 billion Indonesian rupiah, equivalent to roughly $45.2 million – a sum prosecutors argue reflects the personal benefit he gained from Google’s eventual investment in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, Gojek’s parent entity that later merged to form GoTo Group. A separate fine of 1 billion rupiah (approximately $55,870) was also imposed. Prosecutors have previously alleged that the improper purchasing decision cost Indonesian state coffers $125 million in total losses.
Presiding Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah emphasized that as a high-ranking public official, Makarim had a duty to model ethical leadership, but instead violated that trust. “The defendant, as a minister who should serve as a role model, abused his authority. His actions were deliberate, structured and systematic,” Abdullah said. “As a high-ranking official, the defendant exacerbated the situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the education sector was already in crisis.”
The ruling notes that there is no finding that Makarim’s advocacy for Chromebooks actually altered Google’s investment decision. Three former Google executives testified during the trial that the company’s investment in GoTo was completely separate from the Indonesian government’s purchasing choice. The sentence handed down Tuesday is also far shorter than the 18-year prison term prosecutors had requested. Judges explained they reduced the penalty due to Makarim’s age of 41, noting he is still in a productive period of life and that the sentence should not eliminate his opportunity for rehabilitation and future contribution to society. Pre-trial detention time served since Makarim’s arrest in September will also be deducted from his sentence.
Makarim was not the only defendant in the case. Two former education ministry officials and a one-time tech consultant were also convicted, receiving sentences of up to four and a half years. A fourth person linked to the scheme remains at large, with an active arrest warrant from Indonesian authorities.
The trial, which launched in January, has attracted intense public scrutiny across Indonesia. Hundreds of motorcycle taxi drivers, the core workforce of the ride-hailing industry Makarim helped build, have frequently attended court sessions to express their support for the Gojek co-founder.
Judges further found that Makarim’s push to adopt Google’s ChromeOS and Chrome Education Upgrades – products exclusively licensed by the U.S. tech firm – was motivated by personal conflict of interest, and that he deliberately disregarded guidance from his ministry’s own legal bureau as well as national policies requiring government procurement to prioritize domestic products. “The defendant maintained the Chromebook policy by systematically removing officials who opposed it during his tenure as education and culture minister,” Abdullah added.
The verdict was not unanimous. In a dissenting opinion, panel member Andi Saputra argued that prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence to sustain a conviction and that Makarim should be acquitted. Makarim has maintained his innocence from the start of the investigation. Following the reading of the verdict Tuesday, he issued a statement calling the sentence excessive and confirmed he plans to file an appeal with a higher court.