An Indonesian appeals court cut the prison sentence of Gojek co-founder and former education minister Nadiem Makarim to nine years on Thursday. The decision reduces a 10-year term handed down in June.
Judges also reduced his restitution payment from 809 billion rupiah ($45.23 million) to 548 billion rupiah. However, they upheld his graft conviction over a nationwide school laptop procurement programme that cost the state $125 million.
The former minister had asked the Jakarta high court to dismiss all charges. Judge Catur Iriantoro said the bench rejected the appeal because the original ruling aligned with trial evidence, witness testimony, and established facts.
Laptop procurement and tender terms
State contracts to supply Google Chromebooks to primary and secondary schools across Indonesia during Makarim’s tenure form the core of the case. Prosecutors established that tender requirements favored Google’s Chrome operating system. This restricted open commercial competition and blocked rival hardware specifications.
Judge Subachran Hardi Mulyana confirmed the revised financial penalties during Thursday’s hearing. The court determined that the lower 548 billion rupiah figure reflected Makarim’s direct liability in the allocations.
“The victim now is not just me, but the credibility of the law enforcement system in Indonesia.”
Repercussions across the tech and vendor market
Thursday’s ruling sets a precedent for hardware manufacturers, consumer software distributors, and enterprise technology suppliers chasing public contracts in Southeast Asia. Regional procurement routinely drives sales volume for tech vendors. However, tailored operating system specs now carry severe criminal risks for officials and corporate partners.
Tech conglomerates in Jakarta face scrutiny over how enterprise and education software bundles enter distribution pipelines. Device makers must now navigate tighter audits and multi-vendor rules when bidding for institutional tenders.
From ride-hailing pioneer to public office
Gojek began in 2010 when Makarim built the business from a motorcycle call centre into Indonesia’s top on-demand platform for transport, food delivery, and digital payments. He stepped down from his corporate post in October 2019. Former president Joko Widodo then appointed him to lead the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.
Widodo’s appointment of Makarim served as a test case for tapping tech entrepreneurs to modernize state systems. That 2021 digitisation push led directly to the Chromebook initiative. The project triggered his arrest, a 10-year sentence in June, and an appeal on July 1.
The next step at the Supreme Court
Makarim told reporters outside the courtroom that he rejects the verdict and will take his case to Indonesia’s Supreme Court. His legal team must now file the cassation brief contesting the high court’s reasoning before the statutory deadline expires.
