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  • Gojek Co-founder And Ex-education Minister, Nadiem Makarim, Detained In $121 Million Corruption Probe

    Gojek Co-founder And Ex-education Minister, Nadiem Makarim, Detained In $121 Million Corruption Probe

    Former Indonesian Education Minister and co-founder of the ride-hailing company Gojek, Nadiem Makarim, has been detained and named a suspect in a corruption case. The case involves allegations of malfeasance concerning laptop procurement. Makarim will be held for 20 days while the investigation progresses.

    Makarim’s Role in the Alleged Corruption

    Makarim served as the Education Minister from 2019 to 2024 and is accused of misconduct in the procurement of Google’s Chromebook laptops for his ministry and students. According to Nurcahyo Jungkung Madyo, the lead investigator, Makarim is believed to have misused his ministerial authority for personal enrichment or the benefit of a company, in violation of Indonesia’s anti-corruption laws. The damages from this case are estimated to have cost the state around 1.98 trillion rupiah (US$121.85 million).

    Before his detention, local media reported that Makarim stated, “I did not do anything. God will protect me, the truth will come out,” as he was leaving the prosecutor’s office for the detention house. No comment has been received from his legal representative.

    Procurement Specifications and Meetings with Google

    Prosecutors claim that Makarim had issued a directive in 2021, specifying procurement conditions that only the Chromebook laptop could meet. Furthermore, it is alleged that Makarim had six meetings with representatives from Google Indonesia prior to the selection of the Chromebook. Google Indonesia, however, declined to comment on the case involving Makarim, emphasizing that it operates with resellers and partners to provide its technology, and government agencies transact with them, not directly with Google.

    Gojek and the Investigation

    In July, the attorney general’s office conducted a search at the offices of Indonesian tech firm GoTo Gojek Tokopedia as part of the investigation. GoTo’s director of public affairs and communications, Ade Mulya, clarified that Makarim’s duties as education minister, including the procurement of Chromebooks for the ministry, were never related to GoTo’s operations. Makarim had withdrawn from Gojek in 2019 when he was appointed minister. In 2021, Gojek merged with the e-commerce startup Tokopedia to form GoTo Gojek Tokopedia, becoming Indonesia’s largest tech company.

    Questions & Answers

    Who is Nadiem Makarim?
    Nadiem Makarim is the co-founder of ride-hailing company Gojek and former Indonesian Education Minister.

    What are the allegations against Makarim?
    Makarim is accused of corrupt practices in the procurement of Google’s Chromebook laptops for his ministry and students. He is alleged to have misused his ministerial authority for personal or company enrichment.

    What is the potential cost of the alleged corruption?
    The estimated damages from the case are around 1.98 trillion rupiah (US$121.85 million).

  • South Korea prosecutors raid more Lotte Group firms

    South Korea prosecutors raid more Lotte Group firms

    South Korean prosecutors carried out further raids on businesses of the Lotte Group, a sprawling conglomerate at the centre of a bribery probe.

    At least 10 divisions were raided including its chemical and confectionery businesses, a spokesman said.

    The raids come after police swooped on the group’s headquarters on Friday.

    This caused the company to pull out of a stock market share sale worth as much as $4.5bn (£3bn).

    The allegations and police action also led Korea’s fifth largest conglomerate to pull out of bidding for the US chemicals company.

    Shares in both the chemical and confectionery group have fallen sharply since Friday’s raid.

    Bid withdrawn

    People familiar with the matter told Reuters that Friday’s raids, which involved about 200 prosecutors and investigators, were part of an investigation into a possible slush fund, although the Seoul prosecutors office could not be reached for comment.

    Lotte’s offer of shares to the public, known as an initial public offering, had been intended in part to simplify the ownership structure and improve corporate governance at the group.

    This followed a bitter feud over succession among the founding Shin family last year drew wide public criticism.

    The group has more than 90 firms in sectors as diverse as beer, hotels and chemicals, and annual revenues of around $60bn, according to the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

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