Post by Hans Sebastian, M.M., CMSA®

A Jakarta court on Tuesday sentenced Mr. Nadiem Makarim, the former education minister and co-founder of Gojek, to 10 years in prison for corruption tied to a pandemic-era program to buy Google Chromebook laptops for schools. The court found him guilty of abuse of authority that caused state losses but acquitted him of personally enriching himself. He was fined Rp1 billion, ordered to repay about Rp809 billion, and has vowed to appeal. The verdict, one of the highest-profile corruption cases ever brought against a former Indonesian minister, arrives at a fragile moment for the economy. The rupiah and local stocks have already weakened this year, and the ruling has reopened a wider debate — among professionals and investors alike — over whether Indonesia's rules are applied fairly and predictably.