Indonesia’s former education minister and Gojek co-founder Nadiem Makarim is found guilty of corruption related to the procurement of Chromebooks for schools during the COVID-19 period. Multiple reports say the case concerns a government decision made while he was in office to purchase more than a million Chromebooks between 2020 and 2022. Prosecutors and the court link the deal to corruption that they say caused financial losses to the state. Channel NewsAsia reports losses of about US$120 million. Bloomberg and other outlets note the verdict could heighten investor scrutiny of how Indonesia distinguishes graft from policy or business-related disputes.
Several sources report that Makarim is sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay fines and return funds. The Independent says the sentence includes a fine of 1 billion rupiah and the return of more than 800 billion rupiah (about $45 million). The charges and conviction have drawn attention abroad because of Makarim’s prominence in Indonesia’s tech sector. The reporting also indicates foreign investors are monitoring the outcome closely.
