Ride-Hailing Drivers Rally Behind Nadiem Before Defense Hearing

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former Indonesian Education Minister Nadiem Makarim said he was moved by the support of hundreds of ride-hailing drivers who gathered outside the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday before the reading of his defense statement in a corruption trial.

Dozens of online motorcycle taxi, or ojek online (ojol), drivers crowded the streets surrounding the courthouse, entered the court complex, and attended the hearing to show support for Nadiem. Some also delivered speeches outside the building.

“I am grateful for all the voices supporting the truth,” Nadiem told reporters upon arriving at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court. “I was quite touched to see the drivers accompanying me today. Many of them were already showing support along the route from the detention center to the court.”

Nadiem thanked God and expressed appreciation to those who, in his view, remain concerned about justice in Indonesia.

According to Nadiem, the case has grown beyond a legal matter involving himself personally and instead reflects broader questions about the state of the country's legal system and adherence to the principles of Pancasila, Indonesia’s state ideology.

“I hope this case becomes a lesson for improving our legal system and our country in the future,” he said.

Nadiem is one of the defendants in a corruption case related to the Education Ministry’s digitalization program, which involved the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) software between 2019 and 2022.

According to the Central Jakarta District Court’s case information system, the defense hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. local time and presided over by Chief Judge Purwanto Abdullah. Nadiem and his legal team were expected to present their defense statements separately. The proceedings were also streamed live on the court’s official YouTube channel.

Prosecutors Seek 18-Year Prison Sentence

Prosecutors have demanded an 18-year prison sentence for Nadiem, along with a Rp1 billion fine and a court order requiring him to repay Rp5.67 trillion in alleged state losses.

He is accused of causing state losses totaling Rp2.18 trillion through the procurement of Chromebooks and CDM software under the ministry’s education digitalization program. Prosecutors allege the procurement process violated planning procedures and public procurement principles.

The former minister, who founded one of Indonesia’s largest technology companies, is accused of committing the offenses alongside several other defendants being tried separately: Ibrahim Arief, Mulyatsyah, Sri Wahyuningsih, and Jurist Tan, who remains at large.

Prosecutors claim the state suffered losses of Rp1.56 trillion from the education digitalization program, as well as an additional US$44.05 million (approximately Rp621.39 billion) from the procurement of CDM software that was allegedly unnecessary and provided no benefit to the program.

They further allege that Nadiem received Rp809.59 billion originating from PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB), the parent company of Gojek, through PT Gojek Indonesia. Court documents state that a significant portion of AKAB’s funding came from Google investments totaling US$786.99 million.

Prosecutors cited Nadiem’s 2022 state asset disclosure report, which recorded securities holdings worth Rp5.59 trillion, as part of the evidence presented in the case.

Nadiem has been charged under Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law, which carries severe penalties for officials found guilty of causing losses to state finances.

Read: Court to Livestream Nadiem Makarim's Defense in Chromebook Case