Nadiem Makarim, Gojek Co-Founder and Former Minister, Arrested in $115 Million Corruption Probe
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Nadiem Anwar Makarim, the visionary co-founder behind Indonesia’s ubiquitous ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek, was arrested Thursday as part of a sprawling investigation into an alleged $115 million corruption scandal. The probe centers on the government’s procurement of Google Chromebook laptops for schools during Makarim’s tenure as the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister.
Details of the Arrest
Makarim, 41, who served as a minister from 2019 until earlier this year (2024), was taken into custody after a session at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta. Television images showed the prominent figure, handcuffed and clad in a red detainee vest, being led from the prosecutor’s office and into a detention vehicle.
“I didn’t do anything, the truth will come out,” Makarim asserted to a waiting crowd, adding, “God will reveal the truth! For me, throughout my life, integrity is number one, honesty is number one. May God protect me.”
The Corruption Allegations: Chromebooks for Schools
The corruption allegations stem from a critical period when Indonesian schools transitioned to remote learning following widespread classroom closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this educational shift, the government launched a “digitalization of schools” policy, aiming to equip institutions, particularly those in remote areas, with essential digital devices and infrastructure.
The project, overseen by Makarim’s ministry, was an ambitious initiative valued at 9.3 trillion rupiah (approximately $563 million USD). However, investigators allege that the state incurred losses of around 1.9 trillion rupiah (about $115 million) due to corrupt practices. Nurcahyo Jungkung Madyo, the director of investigation at the Attorney General’s Office, indicated that Makarim is being questioned regarding his supervisory role.
Central to the allegations is the claim that Makarim favored Google-based laptops over other viable devices. This alleged favoritism occurred despite internal warnings from the ministry’s own research team, which reportedly advised against the Chromebooks, citing their ineffectiveness in regions lacking stable internet access – a significant concern in Indonesia’s vast archipelago.
Makarim’s Defense and Broader Impact
Despite the serious allegations, Makarim has previously defended the Chromebook program, asserting its success. He stated that by 2023, 97% of more than 1 million laptops procured during his term had been successfully delivered to 77,000 schools across the nation.
Alongside Makarim, three other individuals have been apprehended in connection with the scandal: a former staffer from the education ministry and two former officials from a tech company believed to be involved in the procurement process. The arrests signal a deepening commitment by Indonesian authorities to combat corruption at high levels of government and within the country’s booming tech sector.
Associated Press writer Edna Tarigan in Jakarta contributed to this report.
