An Indonesian court has reduced the prison sentence of Gojek founder and former education minister Nadiem Makarim from 10 years to nine years in an appeal hearing over a graft conviction linked to the procurement of laptops for Indonesian schools (24/09).

The court also reduced the amount of restitution Makarim must pay from 809 billion rupiah (S$58 million) to 548 billion rupiah.

Indonesia Court Upholds Nadiem Makarim Graft Conviction

Makarim was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June after the court found him guilty of abusing his authority during the procurement of Google Chromebooks for schools in Indonesia.

The procurement resulted in US$125 million (S$160 million) in state losses. Makarim filed an appeal on July 1 with the Jakarta High Court.

Judge Catur Iriantoro said on Sept 24 that the court rejected Makarim’s appeal to dismiss all charges because the previous ruling was consistent with the facts established at trial, the evidence presented and witness testimony.

Court Cuts Restitution in Chromebook Procurement Case

Judge Subachran Hardi Mulyana said the court had also reduced Makarim’s restitution from 809 billion rupiah to 548 billion rupiah.

Judges upheld the previous ruling that Makarim had adjusted the tender requirements to favour Chrome. The ruling said this benefited Google and restricted competition.

Nadiem Makarim to Appeal to Supreme Court

After the hearing, Makarim expressed disappointment with the ruling and told reporters that he would file another appeal with the Supreme Court.

“The victim now is not just me, but the credibility of the law enforcement system in Indonesia,” he said.

PHOTO: ANTARA/M RISYAL HIDAYAT

This article was created with AI assistance.

We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our content, some information may be incorrect or outdated. Please let us know of any corrections at [email protected].