JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Nadiem Anwar Makarim, co-founder of Indonesia’s ride-hailing and payments giant Gojek and former education minister, was arrested Thursday amid a sweeping investigation into a $115 million corruption scandal linked to the government’s procurement of Google Chromebooks for schools.
The 41-year-old Makarim, who served as education, culture, research, and technology minister from 2019 to 2024, was taken into custody after attending an interview at the Attorney General’s Office. His arrest is tied to allegations of misconduct in overseeing the procurement process during the government’s transition to remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Television footage showed Makarim in handcuffs and wearing a detainee’s red vest as he was escorted from the prosecutor’s office.
“I didn’t do anything, the truth will come out,” Makarim told onlookers before being placed in a detention vehicle. “Integrity is number one, honesty is number one. May God protect me.”
The controversy centers around a government program to equip remote schools with digital devices as part of a broader “digitalization of schools” initiative. Investigators claim the project, valued at 9.3 trillion rupiah ($563 million), resulted in a state loss of approximately 1.9 trillion rupiah ($115 million) due to alleged favoritism in awarding contracts.
Prosecutors allege Makarim favored Google Chromebooks despite ministry researchers questioning their effectiveness in areas with poor internet connectivity. Makarim has defended the program, stating that 97% of over 1 million laptops procured were delivered to 77,000 schools by 2023.
Makarim was arrested alongside three other suspects, including a former education ministry official and two former tech company executives. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities probe further into the case.
