Corruption Verdict
Indonesia Sentences Former Minister Nadiem Makarim to 18 Years for Graft
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Key Points
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Prosecutors allege Nadiem Makarim personally benefited about 809 billion rupiah (~$46.3 million) from the Chromebook procurement.
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The Chromebook program targeted about 1.2 million devices for 2020–2022, costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars, with reports noting it followed a 2018 assessment that Chromebooks require internet access and may be unsuitable for remote areas.
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Prosecutors say tender specifications were crafted to favor the ChromeOS system, effectively making Google the sole controller of Indonesia’s education ecosystem and tying the procurement to Google's investment in Gojek.
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Google was not charged in the case, and GoTo Group has said Makarim had no decision-making role since his 2019 resignation; Google has denied any wrongdoing and stated its investments were not connected to the procurement.
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The verdict was delivered on June 30, 2026, sentencing Makarim to 18 years in prison with prosecutors seeking a fine of about 5.6 trillion rupiah (roughly $314 million).
An Indonesian court sentenced Nadiem Makarim, co-founder of ride-hailing giant Gojek and former education minister, to 10 years in prison on June 30, 2026, according to The Independent. The Jakarta Corruption Court found him guilty of abusing his authority in a scandal over the purchase of more than 1.2 million Chromebooks during the COVID-19 pandemic — a program prosecutors say caused about 2.18 trillion rupiah (~$125 million) in state losses.
The sentence was lighter than the 18 years prosecutors demanded, but the court ordered Makarim to pay back 809.6 billion rupiah (~$48 million) in restitution, The Independent reported. If he fails to pay, he faces five more years behind bars. Makarim, 41, immediately denied the verdict was fair, saying: "I have truth on my side... all the court facts were ignored."
How a Chromebook Deal Became a Corruption Case
When Makarim left Gojek to join President Joko Widodo's cabinet in October 2019, he launched a sweeping plan to digitize Indonesia's schools. From 2020 to 2022, his ministry bought roughly 1.2 million Chromebooks to help students learn from home during the pandemic, according to Modern Diplomacy. The program cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars.
Prosecutors said the tender rules were written to favor Google's ChromeOS from the start, effectively locking out any other operating system. They also pointed to a 2018 internal assessment that warned Chromebooks need fast internet — a luxury many of Indonesia's remote schools don't have, according to Herald Sun. The Attorney General's Office opened a formal investigation in May 2025, and Makarim was arrested as a suspect that September.
The Alleged Quid Pro Quo Linking Google and Gojek
The sharpest part of the prosecution's case was a claimed "quid pro quo." Prosecutors argued that Google invested in Gojek — later GoTo Group — in exchange for tender rules that handed it control of Indonesia's education technology market. They said Makarim personally benefited by 809.59 billion rupiah (~$46.3 million) through transactions linked to PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, according to The Independent.
Google pushed back hard. Two executives, Scott Beaumont and Caesar Sengupta, testified by video link that Google's $787 million investment in GoTo had nothing to do with the laptop contracts. GoTo Group also said Makarim had no decision-making role at the company after his 2019 resignation. Google was never charged in the case, according to Modern Diplomacy.
Court Splits on Guilt, Hands Down Lighter Sentence
The five-judge panel, led by Chief Judge Purwanto S. Abdullah, acquitted Makarim of the primary charge of unlawful conduct but convicted him on the secondary charge of abuse of authority, according to Herald Sun. One judge, Andi, dissented entirely — arguing there was no proven criminal intent and that Makarim should go free.
Outside the court, dozens of Gojek drivers in green jackets gathered to show support, offering prayers and flowers for the man they said transformed their lives, according to Modern Diplomacy. Makarim's legal team announced an immediate appeal to the High Court. He told reporters he "could not pay the amount ordered," signaling a long battle over asset seizure ahead, The Independent reported.
Verdict Sends a Chill Through Tech and Government Circles
Legal experts warned the ruling could have wide effects. Tim Lindsey, a law professor at the University of Melbourne, said the verdict marks a "huge expansion of the notion of corruption," potentially treating risky policy decisions as criminal acts, according to The Independent. Credit rating agencies have already flagged the case as a sign of "market transparency issues" in Indonesia.
Supporters of Makarim argue the prosecution was political — a way to roll back his "Merdeka Belajar" (Freedom to Learn) education reforms, which cut into lucrative training contracts and bureaucratic kickbacks. Critics counter that the program hurt the children it was meant to help, sending devices to remote schools where there was no internet to use them, according to Mahoning Matters.
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