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View all search resultsOutcry as prosecutors seek 18-year sentence for Nadiem
Prosecutors on Wednesday demanded an 18-year prison sentence for former education minister Nadiem Makarim over a corruption case linked to the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops for the ministry’s school digitalization program between 2020 to 2022.
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Nadiem Makarim, former education minister and co-founder of ride-hailing firm Gojek, arrives for a hearing on May 13 over alleged corruption related to the procurement of Google Chromebook laptops at the Jakarta Corruption Court. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
T
he prosecution of former education minister Nadiem Makarim for alleged corruption in the procurement of Chromebook laptops six years ago has prompted an outcry over what many deem an unfair prison sentence sought for one of the country's most prominent tech entrepreneurs.
In a courtroom filled with Nadiem’s supporters on Wednesday, prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) asked the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence Nadiem to 18 years in prison for allegedly manipulating the procurement of Chromebooks and enriching himself when he was the education minister.
Nadiem cofounded ride-hailing company Gojek in 2010 and resigned as Gojek chief executive in 2019 to serve as education minister until 2024 under then president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
Prosecutors said Nadiem had approved the tender specifications that were altered to fit only the Chromebooks in the laptop purchase for schools in remote and underdeveloped regions between 2019 and 2022, despite the ministry’s research team advising against it due to its ineffectiveness in regions lacking internet access.
Prosecutors said his actions incurred Rp 2.18 trillion (US$124.4 million) in state losses.
They also accused Nadiem of enriching himself by around Rp 809 billion through the Chromebook procurement, which was intended to advance his personal interests in Google’s investment for Gojek’s then-parent company PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa although it was not involved in the laptop procurement.
The AGO demanded Nadiem to pay Rp 5.6 trillion in restitution to the state and Rp 1 billion in fines.
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