A Jakarta anti-graft court sentenced former Indonesian education minister Nadiem Makarim to 10 years in prison on June 30, 2026 [1, 4].

The conviction of the Gojek co-founder marks a significant legal blow to a high-profile figure who transitioned from the tech industry to the highest levels of government. It underscores the Indonesian judiciary's ongoing efforts to target corruption within public procurement processes.

Makarim was found guilty of graft related to the procurement of Google Chromebooks for schools while he served as the country's education minister [1, 3]. The court determined that Makarim abused his authority to award the procurement contracts [1, 5].

In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Makarim to return over 800 billion rupiah, which is approximately U.S.$45 million [1]. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 1 billion rupiah [1].

The sentencing occurred on Tuesday in Jakarta [2, 4]. While some reports indicated that prosecutors had sought a longer term of 18 years, the court ultimately settled on 10 years of imprisonment [6].

Makarim's tenure as education minister was marked by attempts to modernize the national school system through technology. This case now ties those digital initiatives to allegations of systemic corruption, and financial misconduct [3, 5].

“Sentenced to 10 years in prison for graft”

This ruling reflects the volatility of Indonesia's intersection between the tech elite and political power. By sentencing a figure as prominent as Makarim, the anti-graft court is signaling that previous contributions to the digital economy or high-ranking ministerial status do not provide immunity from corruption probes, particularly those involving large-scale state spending on educational infrastructure.