The Jakarta Corruption Court also imposed a fine of 1 billion rupiah ($55,870) and ordered Makarim to pay 809 billion rupiah ($45 million) in restitution. The court said failure to pay the restitution would result in an additional five-year prison term.

Prosecutors alleged that Makarim approved the procurement of Chromebook laptops and related software at inflated prices while disregarding internal evaluations, causing an estimated $120 million in losses to the state. The purchases were made under the Education Ministry’s remote learning program introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Makarim, 41, pleaded not guilty throughout the proceedings and announced he would immediately appeal the verdict.

“I have effectively been sentenced to 15 years because I have been ordered to pay 809 billion rupiah in restitution, which I do not have,” Makarim told reporters after the ruling. He added that he would continue challenging the conviction through the legal process.

Before entering public office in 2019, Makarim founded Gojek, transforming the Indonesian ride-hailing startup into one of Southeast Asia’s largest technology companies. Originally launched as a motorcycle ride-hailing and courier platform, Gojek expanded into food delivery, digital payments and other on-demand services, becoming Indonesia’s first unicorn startup and reaching a valuation of about $10 billion by 2019.

Former President Joko Widodo appointed Makarim as education minister in 2019, citing his experience in technology and innovation to help modernize Indonesia’s education system.

In his closing statement before the court last week, Makarim said the prosecution could discourage talented professionals and young Indonesians from entering public service. He argued that the case carried broader implications for public confidence in government service.

The verdict marks the latest high-profile corruption conviction involving a former senior Indonesian government official and is expected to be challenged through the country’s appeals process.