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The co-founder of super-app Gojek who became Indonesia’s education minister has been sentenced to several years in jail.<\/b><\/p>\n
Nadiem Makarim, 41, was found guilty of corruption over a controversial laptop deal. He received a 10-year prison sentence, but faces more jailtime as he is unable to pay restitution. He had pleaded not guilty.<\/p>\n
Nadiem left Gojek in 2019 to join the government of previous president Joko Widodo, and served as education minister until 2024. <\/p>\n
Critics of the Indonesian authorities say the case against him was based on little evidence and that he is the victim of a government campaign targeting political opponents.<\/p>\n
Gojek is a popular app in South East Asia with more than 170 million people using it for transport and digital payments. Nadiem has gained a large following as the co- founder of one of Indonesia’s most successful tech companies.<\/p>\n
In addition to the 10-year prison term, Nadiem was ordered to pay restitution of 809 billion rupiah ($45m, \u00a334m) – the amount he was accused of enriching himself with – or serve an additional five years.<\/p>\n
Nadiem has said that as he is unable to pay this amount, he has effectively been sentenced to 15 years.<\/p>\n
He also faces a one billion rupiah fine. If unpaid, he will serve an additional 190 days in jail.<\/p>\n
The case centres on the education ministry’s procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools in Indonesia from 2021 to 2022. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n