Indonesia court sentences Nadiem Makarim to 10 years in corruption case

A court in Indonesia has sentenced former education minister Nadiem Makarim to 10 years in prison over corruption linked to the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling was delivered by the Jakarta anti-corruption court on Tuesday and marks a major legal setback for one of the country's best-known business figures. Judges found him guilty of abuse of authority and causing state losses, while saying he was not proven to have directly enriched himself.

Sponsored

The court said the case caused state losses of about $120 million. It also ordered Makarim to pay a fine of Rp1 billion, or about $55,850, and Rp809 billion in restitution, which is more than $45 million, or face additional prison time. Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah said the panel had reached its conclusion after reviewing the evidence presented in the case.

Makarim, who is 41, said he would appeal and rejected the ruling. The verdict is significant because it involves a former cabinet minister who was once closely associated with Indonesia's technology sector. Makarim co-founded Gojek in 2010 and later became one of the country's youngest ministers when he joined the cabinet in 2019.

He served as education minister until 2024. Prosecutors had argued that the Chromebook purchase was linked to the investment interests of the US technology company behind the operating system, although that company was not charged and has denied wrongdoing. The case also highlights continuing scrutiny of public procurement during the pandemic, when governments across the region accelerated digital education spending.

Sponsored

In this case, the laptops were intended for schools, and the court's finding of state losses gives the ruling broader financial and political weight. Prosecutors had sought an 18-year sentence and much higher restitution, showing the scale of the allegations before the court. The decision also places renewed attention on how major education contracts were awarded and supervised during the health crisis.

Makarim has denied wrongdoing throughout the case and said the procurement saved money. In his defence this month, he said witnesses and experts had found no evidence of state loss, legal violation, self-enrichment, enrichment of others, or malicious intent. He also said he could not pay the amount ordered under the ruling.

His legal team is expected to pursue the appeal process, which means the case is likely to remain active in the coming weeks. What remains unclear is how quickly the appeal will be heard and whether the restitution order will be enforced before any higher court review. The ruling is a first-instance verdict, so it may still change.

#Indonesia #NadiemMakarim #corruption #Jakartaanticorruptioncourt #Chromebook

Sponsored