Nadiem Makarim, the co-founder of ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek and Indonesia’s former education minister, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty in a corruption case linked to a school laptop procurement programme.
The 41-year-old was convicted of manipulating the purchase of Chromebook laptops for Indonesian schools during his tenure as education minister. Prosecutors argued that the procurement process was designed to benefit his corporate interests and enrich him personally. Nadiem had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered him to pay restitution of 809 billion rupiah (approximately $45 million or £34 million), the amount judges determined he had improperly benefited from. Failure to pay the sum will result in an additional five years in prison. He was also fined one billion rupiah, with an extra 190 days of imprisonment if the penalty remains unpaid.
Following the verdict, Nadiem said he was unable to pay the restitution amount, meaning he could effectively face a total of 15 years behind bars.
The case centres on the Indonesian education ministry’s purchase of Chromebook laptops between 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the ministry had previously determined in 2018 that such devices were unsuitable for many remote areas of Indonesia because they depended heavily on internet access, which remains limited in parts of the country.
Despite these concerns, prosecutors said the ministry proceeded with the procurement after Nadiem met representatives from Google in 2020. They accused him of creating procurement specifications that favoured Google’s Chrome operating system, effectively making the company the dominant technology provider in Indonesia’s education sector.
At the time, Google was also an investor in Gojek, and prosecutors argued that Nadiem’s continued minority shareholding in the company represented a conflict of interest. They further alleged that his actions caused state losses amounting to $125 million and that he benefited from transactions involving Gojek’s holding company.
Nadiem rejected the allegations, insisting that Google’s investment in Gojek had no connection to the Chromebook procurement process. He also argued that the laptop programme helped reduce government costs and maintained that the 809 billion rupiah cited by prosecutors had remained within company accounts and was never used for his personal benefit.
A panel of judges ultimately ruled that the procurement process had been structured to serve Nadiem’s corporate relationships and interests, leading to his conviction.
The verdict triggered emotional scenes at the courthouse in Jakarta, where dozens of supporters, including Gojek drivers wearing the company’s signature green jackets, gathered to show solidarity with the former minister. Supporters carried banners reading “We are with Nadiem” and “Free Nadiem.”
Inside the courtroom, Nadiem appeared visibly emotional and broke down in tears after the sentence was announced. Supporters outside reportedly booed the decision, and he embraced several of them as he left the courthouse.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Nadiem announced plans to appeal the ruling.
“I do not know what words I can use to explain how I feel today,” he said. “I do not know whom I should ask for help, or where I can seek justice. My only hope is in the Indonesian people, in those who still believe that truth still exists in this country.”
The case has sparked debate in Indonesia, with some legal experts and political observers questioning the evidence presented against him. Critics argue that anti-corruption investigations are increasingly being used against individuals seen as politically inconvenient or critical of those in power.
Human rights advocates and analysts have also warned that the conviction could discourage young professionals from entering public service. Many viewed Nadiem as a reform-minded entrepreneur who sought to modernise government institutions but became entangled in a political system resistant to rapid change.
The verdict comes during a period of growing social and political tension in Indonesia, where rising living costs and the weakening rupiah have fuelled public dissatisfaction with the government of President Prabowo Subianto. Recent weeks have seen a series of demonstrations across the country, with activists accusing the government of pursuing policies that threaten Indonesia’s economic stability.
Nadiem’s appeal is expected to keep the high-profile case in the national spotlight and could become a significant test of public confidence in Indonesia’s judicial and anti-corruption institutions.
