Jakarta’s Corruption Court heard prosecutors ask for a lengthy prison term for Nadiem Anwar Makarim, the Gojek co-founder whose role as education minister from 2019 to 2024 placed him at the center of a case focused on Chromebook laptops procured for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prosecutors told the three-judge panel that they were seeking 18 years for what they described as Makarim’s alleged role in a corruption case linked to the procurement, which they said led to about $125 million in state losses. They argued the case centers on a government decision to procure the laptops despite concerns that they were ineffective in areas with limited internet access, and on alleged influence that they said helped connect procurement decisions with corporate interests.
In their sentencing proposal, prosecutors sought a 1 billion rupiah fine and requested the seizure of Makarim’s assets if he did not repay what they said were 809 billion rupiah tied to the program. They also asked for seizure of 4.8 trillion rupiah in funds prosecutors described as unexplained wealth, as part of what they urged the court to impose if Makarim was found responsible.
Under the prosecutors’ proposal, the court would also add an additional nine years in prison if he did not comply within one month after a final ruling. Prosecutors said the case is connected to the Chromebook program launched during the pandemic to support remote learning.
Makarim was arrested in September following the investigation into the procurement, and prosecutors said at trial that he “enriched himself” through the program during 2020 to 2022 by abusing his position to influence policy decisions and corporate dealings. Prosecutors further alleged that Makarim pressured Google to invest in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB), described as the parent company of Gojek, which later became part of GoTo Group.
During the proceedings, prosecutors downplayed testimony from three former Google executives who said Google’s investment in GoTo was unrelated to the government’s decision to buy Chromebooks. Prosecutors told the court that Google’s investment in GoTo was a mutually beneficial relationship that may have influenced Chromebook procurement policy, and they asserted that the Chromebook procurement and the Google investment—totaling about $787 million through Google Asia Pacific—were interconnected.
The trial has attracted significant public attention, including hearings attended by hundreds of “ojek” motorcycle taxi drivers who showed solidarity for Makarim, whose company helped revolutionize Indonesia’s gig economy. Judges are expected to deliver a verdict in the coming weeks, according to prosecutors’ arguments and the court’s scheduling.
Makarim, who was approved earlier this week to change his detention status to house arrest following surgery, denied wrongdoing in response to the sentencing demand. He told reporters after the hearing that “These are lawful earnings from building a company and creating jobs,” and said he was “effectively being charged with 27 or 28 years in prison, far more than many violent criminals.”
Makarim also said there was “no administrative violation and no element of corruption” in his actions, and he said the restitution prosecutors sought far exceeded what he described as his actual wealth. His lawyers have argued that he divested from PT AKAB upon taking office and that his wealth declined during his tenure, and Makarim has maintained that procurement decisions were made by technical officials rather than by him.