An Indonesian appeals court has reduced the prison sentence of Gojek founder and former education minister Nadiem Makarim from 10 years to 9 years following his conviction for corruption in a nationwide school laptop procurement project.
The Jakarta High Court issued its ruling on Thursday, September 24, 2026, upholding the underlying graft conviction while trimming both the prison term and the required financial restitution tied to the supply of Google Chromebooks for remote and underdeveloped schools between 2020 and 2022.
### Appeals Court Ruling and Sentence Adjustment
During the Thursday hearing, the Jakarta High Court panel determined that the initial 10-year sentence handed down by the Jakarta Corruption Court in late June was inaccurate and unfair. Judge Catur Iriantoro stated that the court rejected Nadiem’s appeal to dismiss all charges entirely, finding the original verdict consistent with the established trial facts, presented evidence, and witness testimony.
Alongside the one-year reduction in prison time for the 42-year-old former minister, the bench also decreased the financial restitution he must pay. Judge Subachran Hardi Mulyana announced that the restitution requirement was lowered from 809 billion rupiah ($45.23 million) down to 548 billion rupiah ($30.578 million). The court maintained the provision that if the defendant lacks sufficient assets to cover the restitution, he must serve an additional six years in prison.
### Tender Requirements and Google Chromebook Procurement
The legal proceedings center on state losses totaling approximately $125 million stemming from the procurement of Google Chromebooks during Nadiem’s tenure under former president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Judges upheld the previous ruling that Nadiem had adjusted tender requirements to favor Chrome, which benefited Google while restricting broader market competition.
Nadiem cofounded Indonesia’s first unicorn tech start-up, Gojek, before serving as the country’s education minister from 2019 to 2024.
### Defendant Reaction and Next Legal Steps
Following the announcement of the appeal decision, Nadiem expressed disappointment with the outcome and confirmed to reporters that he plans to escalate the case further.
“The victim now is not just me, but the credibility of the law enforcement system in Indonesia,” Nadiem said outside the courtroom, indicating his intention to file another appeal with the Supreme Court.
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