The Indonesian Attorney General's Office formally indicted former Education Minister and Gojek co-founder Nadiem on Monday, alleging that he abused his power during the Ministry of Education’s digitalization project amid the COVID-19 pandemic by illegally procuring laptop computers, resulting in national losses amounting to 2.1 trillion Indonesian rupiah (about 160 million Singapore dollars).
Prosecutors, reading the indictment at the Central Jakarta District Court, stated that Nadiem deliberately set technical specifications during the bidding process to only be compatible with Google systems, intending to allow Google to monopolize Indonesia’s educational ecosystem. Between 2020 and 2022, he illegally profited 809 billion Indonesian rupiah by procuring Google Chromebook laptops and related operating systems for schools.
The indictment disclosed that as early as 2018, the Ministry of Education had determined that Chromebooks require a stable network environment to be effectively used for teaching; however, many remote areas in Indonesia lack sufficient network coverage and are not suitable for using such devices. Yet, the related procurement was still approved and implemented.
The prosecution also pointed out that Nadiem met multiple times with Google representatives from both the Asia-Pacific region and Google Indonesia during 2020. Around the same period, Google made an additional investment of US$59 million in Gojek’s then-parent company, the Indonesian National Innovation Application Company (AKAB).
According to a personal asset declaration submitted by Nadiem in 2022, his asset appreciation from AKAB reached 809 billion Indonesian rupiah, with the company’s primary funding source being Google’s total investment of US$787 million. The indictment also revealed that at least 10 companies profited from this Ministry of Education bidding case.
Nadiem's defense attorney stated that the defendant denies all allegations and claims that the prosecution lacks strong evidence, and will apply to the court to dismiss the charges.
Nadiem resigned as CEO of Gojek in 2019 to become Minister of Education, holding the position until 2024. He was arrested by the Attorney General’s Office in September last year, along with several other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Education. If convicted, Nadiem faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The indictment disclosed that as early as 2018, the Ministry of Education had determined that Chromebooks require a stable network environment to be effectively used for teaching; however, many remote areas in Indonesia lack sufficient network coverage and are not suitable for using such devices. Yet, the related procurement was still approved and implemented.
The prosecution also pointed out that Nadiem met multiple times with Google representatives from both the Asia-Pacific region and Google Indonesia during 2020. Around the same period, Google made an additional investment of US$59 million in Gojek’s then-parent company, the Indonesian National Innovation Application Company (AKAB).
According to a personal asset declaration submitted by Nadiem in 2022, his asset appreciation from AKAB reached 809 billion Indonesian rupiah, with the company’s primary funding source being Google’s total investment of US$787 million. The indictment also revealed that at least 10 companies profited from this Ministry of Education bidding case.
Nadiem's defense attorney stated that the defendant denies all allegations and claims that the prosecution lacks strong evidence, and will apply to the court to dismiss the charges.
Nadiem resigned as CEO of Gojek in 2019 to become Minister of Education, holding the position until 2024. He was arrested by the Attorney General’s Office in September last year, along with several other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Education. If convicted, Nadiem faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.