Nadiem Makarim's 18-year graft demand unfolds alongside a public show of support

Public support for former education minister and Gojek founder Nadiem Makarim has remained visible online following prosecutors’ demand for an 18-year prison sentence in the Chromebook corruption case, according to data from social listening platform Tocanan.

The platform recorded 16,049 mentions across social media, news platforms, forums, and blogs after the sentencing demand announcement, with 35.4% of conversations expressing support for Makarim, compared to 7.2% backing the prosecution.

The sentiment also extended beyond social media. Outside Jakarta’s Corruption Court on Wednesday, rows of Gojek drivers gathered to support Makarim during the hearing.

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Makarim also faces a IDR 1 billion (US$57,000) fine and IDR 5.6 trillion (US$318 million) in restitution, with prosecutors seeking a further nine years’ imprisonment if the amount remains unpaid. 

Just a day before that, Ibrahim Arief, a former consultant to the Education Ministry, was sentenced to four years in prison in connection with the same case. Following the ruling, Makarim wrote on LinkedIn that two of the five judges had expressed dissenting opinions arguing Arief should be acquitted, although the panel ultimately convicted him.

The emotional show of support highlighted the unusual public mood surrounding one of Indonesia’s most closely watched corruption trials in recent years: while the legal accusations against Makarim are severe, sympathy toward him remains visible across parts of the public.

Online, messages of encouragement and defence from celebrities, influencers, founders, and commentators quickly spread across social media since prosecutors announced their sentencing demand, with many pointing to Makarim’s role in shaping Indonesia’s digital economy and drawing parallels with other high-profile cases involving reform-minded public figures who later became entangled in legal battles.

Among opinionated mentions identified by Tocanan, roughly 83% were supportive of Makarim, compared to 17% that were critical. The dominant themes behind the support included perceptions of legal injustice, emotional solidarity as well as broader political criticism. Meanwhile, conversations supporting the prosecution largely centred on anti-corruption accountability and respect for the legal process.

The most engaged social posts related to the trial, as observed by Tocanan, include Instagram videos from news platforms Kompas.com and Detik.com, which showed Makarim interacting emotionally with Gojek drivers and his close ones.

Prosecutors accused Makarim of abusing his authority during his tenure as education minister between 2020 and 2022 through a Chromebook procurement programme for schools during the pandemic that allegedly caused state losses amounting to trillions of rupiah.

They alleged that Makarim violated Indonesia’s anti-corruption law by enriching himself and several private Chromebook vendors through the programme, arguing that the decision to prioritise Chromebooks was linked to business interests tied to Google’s investment in Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa, the company founded by Makarim that later merged with Tokopedia to become GoTo Group.

Makarim has denied any wrongdoing, while questioning the scale of the sentencing demand by comparing it with penalties sought in other major criminal cases. 

“Why is the demand against me higher than for murderers? Higher than for terrorists? Perhaps it is because, throughout this trial, it has become clear that I am not guilty. But because they are afraid I could walk free, such a high figure was thrown at me,” he told the press.

Makarim said the restitution demand was deeply painful and disproportionate, arguing that it far exceeded his total wealth at the end of his ministerial term.

“Not a single rupiah moved out of GoTo’s account into mine,” he further wrote on LinkedIn.

“I feel a lot of anger and a lot of sadness at the way this is playing out. But I’m going to continue to fight. As I have said before, I still believe Indonesia and its legal system will do the right thing in the end.”

The case has quickly evolved beyond a standard corruption trial because of Makarim’s unique public profile. Before entering government under President Joko Widodo, Makarim was widely celebrated as one of Indonesia’s most influential startup founders after building Gojek into a regional technology giant that transformed the country’s ride-hailing and digital services sector.

That history has shaped public reactions to the prosecution. In one widely circulated moment, Makarim told drivers, “I don’t feel alone. I can always feel an army behind me. Thank you, thank you.”

Now, with the eyes of the international community on the case, it has become both a legal battle and a broader public reckoning over power, accountability, and the legacy of Indonesia’s startup boom, while also raising concerns among some observers over how it could affect global investor confidence in Indonesia’s business climate.

The defence hearing, during which Makarim and his legal team will present their plea, is scheduled for 2 June 2026.

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