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one Indonesia A court on Monday set up trial for the co-founder of the country’s ride-hailing and payments company Gojek, who was accused of corruption in a government procurement project. Google The perfect Chromebook for school.
Nadiem Anwar Makarim, 41, was the minister of education, culture, research and technology when he was arrested on September 7. He was arrested during an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office. jakarta A $125 billion corruption scandal is implicated in the project.
The laptop procurement launched under the government’s ‘School Digitization’ policy aims to equip schools in remote areas with digital equipment and infrastructure.
Makarim, who served as education minister from 2019 to 2024, reportedly preferred Google Chromebooks, even though a research team at the ministry declined to recommend the laptop model due to inefficiency in areas lacking internet access.
The indictment alleges that Makarim directed nationwide purchases in 2020 and 2021 “solely for his personal business interests.” Prosecutors said he urged Google to invest in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, or PT AKAB. The company is the parent company of Gojek.
Prosecutors said Makarim received about 809 billion rupees ($48.2 million) through the scheme.
He could face life in prison under Indonesia’s 2001 anti-corruption law for causing state damage and misusing public funds.
“The procurement ignored proper pricing benchmarks and technical needs, especially for remote or resource-poor areas,” Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Fadli Paramaji told a three-judge panel at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday.
He said the purchase of more than 1.2 million Chromebooks was intended to strengthen Google’s dominant position in Indonesia’s education technology ecosystem and was related to Google’s subsequent investment of approximately US$787 million in PT AKAB through Google Asia Pacific.
Makarim, A. Harvard University The graduate, and a former tech CEO, co-founded Gojek in 2009 and served until 2019, when the company was valued at more than $10 billion. He resigned from his post and joined the cabinet of the former President of Indonesia Joko Widodo.
Prosecutors allege that his resignations from PT AKAB and Gojek were a “strategic concealment” designed to conceal conflicts of interest, while Makarim appointed close associates as directors and “beneficial owners”, allowing him to maintain indirect control over company decisions.
Makarim denied the accusations, saying he personally received no funds from Chromebook purchases or related services.
Makarim’s defense lawyers argued that the Google investment largely occurred before he became minister and was routine corporate activity and had nothing to do with the laptop deal.
They said Makarim was divested from PT AKAB upon taking office, his wealth fell by more than 50% during his tenure and procurement decisions were made by technical teams and officials rather than ministers.
“The defendant was not involved in the procurement process as his role was limited to formulating policies,” defense lawyer Ali Yusuf Amir told the court. He called the indictment “unclear, inaccurate and incomplete” and said it conflated Makarim’s ministerial powers with the work of other government officials.
Two former Ministry of Education officials and a former technical adviser have also been charged in the case, while another staff member is wanted by authorities but remains at large.