Indonesian prosecutors have requested an 18-year prison sentence for Nadiem Makarim, former education minister and co-founder of the ride-hailing platform Gojek, in an alleged corruption case related to IT equipment purchases. The announcement was made Wednesday during a hearing in Jakarta.
According to the prosecution, Nadiem Makarim was allegedly involved in irregular acquisitions of laptops during the Covid-19 pandemic. These transactions reportedly included the purchase of Google Chromebooks intended for the education sector, as part of public programs.
Prosecutors believe these irregularities caused significant financial harm to the Indonesian state, estimated at approximately $125,64 million. They maintain that the former minister bears responsibility for the implementation or approval of these procurement procedures.
Nadiem Makarim, a well-known figure in Indonesian tech before entering politics, founded Gojek, a transportation and services app that became one of the industry giants in Southeast Asia. He was later appointed Minister of Education, a position he held for several years.
The case concerns decisions made in the context of a health emergency, a period during which many countries accelerated their digital investments in education. Indonesian judicial authorities, however, assert that certain procedures did not comply with the rules of transparency and management of public funds.
The Jakarta court must now review the prosecution's arguments before issuing its ruling. No date has been announced for the final verdict in this case, which has been closely followed in Indonesia due to the defendant's profile and the significant sums of money involved.
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