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The Jakarta Corruption Court ruled that Makarim personally benefited to the tune of 809 billion rupiah through the 2020-2022 purchase of more than 1 million Google Chromebooks and related software for schools, according to details published on Wikipedia drawing from local reporting. Prosecutors had sought an 18-year prison term along with 5.6 trillion rupiah in combined fines and restitution, a demand Reuters outlined in coverage ahead of the verdict. The court ordered Makarim to pay a 1 billion rupiah fine in addition to the restitution amount, the case summary indicated. Makarim, who co-founded Gojek in 2010 as a ride-hailing service that expanded into a super-app for deliveries, payments and other services across Southeast Asia, has maintained his innocence throughout proceedings that began after his arrest in September 2025. He told the court the charges represented an illusion of law and that the laptop program actually saved the government trillions of rupiah, Nikkei Asia reported from his June defense statement. In earlier remarks covered by The Business Times, Makarim said the world felt as if it was ending when he entered prison, underscoring his view that the case stemmed from a flawed investigation.
Gojek merged with e-commerce platform Tokopedia in 2021 to form GoTo, which went public the following year and ranked among Indonesia’s most valuable technology companies at the time, according to corporate profiles referenced in Reuters company data. The procurement at the center of the case involved specifications that allegedly favored Google’s Chrome OS, an arrangement prosecutors tied to Google’s prior investments in Gojek, a link Makarim rejected. A Japan Times assessment of the trial noted that the 41-year-old former minister had been viewed as a symbol of Indonesia’s digital economy boom before entering government under former President Joko Widodo in 2019. The education ministry proceeded with the Chromebooks despite an earlier internal finding that unreliable internet in remote areas would limit their usefulness, prosecutors argued in filings reviewed by the Associated Press.
Dozens of supporters including Gojek drivers gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday carrying banners that read “Free Nadiem,” coverage from multiple outlets showed. Makarim appeared emotional as he greeted drivers wearing company jackets before entering the courtroom, according to eyewitness accounts shared with BBC News. His mother-in-law told the broadcaster that the past 10 months had been difficult for the family, which continued to stand by him. The verdict arrives as observers question whether the case forms part of a pattern targeting political figures associated with Widodo, with similar convictions of ex-trade minister Tom Lembong and party official Hasto Kristiyanto later receiving pardons from current President Prabowo Subianto, the New York Times reported in May.
Critics including lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis described the proceedings as an effort to attack those not aligned with current powers under the guise of anti-corruption enforcement, a view echoed in interviews with The Straits Times. Amnesty International Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid told reporters that young Indonesians saw Makarim as someone attempting reform within a flawed system, potentially discouraging future private-sector talent from public service. Artist and activist Andovi da Lopez expressed concern to media that the case fostered a climate of fear about collaborating with government, a sentiment amplified amid broader youth discontent over rising living costs. The Financial Times noted that Makarim’s Harvard education and tech background had once positioned him as a bridge between Indonesia’s startup scene and the state.
The scandal has drawn attention to risks facing Indonesian businesses amid heightened regulatory scrutiny, a Japan Times analysis published in June concluded. Gojek itself has continued operations under new leadership while the trial unfolded, maintaining its position in a competitive ride-hailing and digital services market that expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Makarim resigned as Gojek chief executive in 2019 to take the education post, where he oversaw policies aimed at improving digital access in schools before the procurement issues surfaced. No immediate comment from GoTo or the government on the sentencing was detailed in initial reports from the day of the verdict.
