Pt Goto Gojek Tokopedia TbkIDX: GOTO

Indonesia court jails former officials at education ministry over Google laptop procurement

· Issued by Pt Goto Gojek Tokopedia Tbk

An Indonesian court on Thursday sentenced two former officials at the country's education ministry to up to 4-1/2 years in prison for corruption over the improper procurement of Chromebook laptops, a court spokesperson said.

Here is some key information:

  • The case involves Indonesia's former education minister and the co-founder of startup Gojek, Nadiem Makarim, who is currently standing trial.

  • Makarim, who had resigned as chief executive of ride-hailing company Gojek in 2019, was accused of enriching himself from the procurement of Chromebook laptops for schools between 2020 and 2022.

  • Judges with the Jakarta court handed down a four-year prison term for Sri Wahyuningsih, the former director of primary education at the education ministry, and 4-1/2 years for the ministry's former junior high school director, the court's spokesperson said in a statement.

  • "Proven guilty of committing corruption acts collectively," the statement said, adding that the acts have caused the state losses.

  • The prosecutors had previously requested both defendants be sentenced to six years in jail.

  • Prosecutors had accused them of creating tender specifications that only fit the Chromebook.

  • Reuters could not immediately reach the defendants' lawyers.

  • Alphabet's Google NASDAQ:GOOG, which owns the Chromebook brand, was not indicted.

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