Jakarta. A court has ruled that the trial of former education minister and ride-hailing firm Gojek co-founder Nadiem Makarim over the procurement of Chromebook laptops will proceed, rejecting a preliminary objection filed by his defense team and clearing the way for a full examination of the case.

Speaking through a written statement read out by his lawyer after Monday’s hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Nadiem said he believed the truth would emerge as the trial unfolds. “One by one, the facts will be revealed, and I believe God will show the way to the truth,” he said.

Nadiem said he was disappointed by the court’s decision to dismiss his objection but stressed that he would respect the legal process. “Although I am saddened by today’s ruling, I will always respect the course of law,” he said.

The case centers on the Education Ministry’s digitalization program between 2019 and 2022, during which prosecutors allege the procurement of Chromebook laptops and Chrome Device Management (CDM) services caused state losses of about Rp2.18 trillion ($119 million). The court said the case would proceed under Indonesia’s new Criminal Procedure Code, which took effect in January 2026.

In his statement, Nadiem addressed allegations of conflicts of interest involving Google, whose Chrome operating system underpins Chromebook devices. He cited public statements from the company saying it had no conflict of interest with him, adding that most of Google’s investment in Gojek occurred before he was appointed minister.

“Google has made it clear that there was no conflict of interest,” Nadiem said. He added that Google had also confirmed it was not a hardware vendor in the procurement process and only supplied software. According to Nadiem, Google has also stated that Chromebooks can be used offline and are widely adopted for education globally, countering claims that the devices were unsuitable for Indonesia.

Nadiem also rejected allegations that he benefited from Rp809 billion linked to the case, saying he had asked GoTo, Gojek’s parent company, to clarify the matter. “The documentation is complete and will prove that I did not receive a single rupiah,” he said, adding that the funds in question were returned in full to Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (AKAB), the parent company of Gojek. He insisted the records were clear, verifiable, and unrelated to either Google or the ministry.

Prosecutors allege that the Chromebook procurement involved inflated pricing of about Rp1.56 trillion and unnecessary CDM purchases valued at Rp621 billion. They have named Nadiem as the main defendant alongside several former education officials and a technology consultant, while a former special staff member to the minister remains at large.

During the preliminary hearing, Nadiem’s lawyers asked judges to halt the proceedings, declare the indictment invalid, and order his release from detention. Defense lawyer Ari Yusuf Amir argued that the charges were legally flawed and wrongly attributed operational procurement decisions to a cabinet-level official.

“Nadiem Makarim did not have operational authority over procurement. His role was limited to setting policy direction,” Ari told the court.

The defense also challenged prosecutors’ assertion that Chromebooks were procured for use in remote and underdeveloped regions, arguing that official guidelines restricted their use to schools with adequate electricity and internet access. Lawyers further disputed the calculation of state losses, saying prosecutors treated the entire value of CDM procurement as a loss without accounting for benefits or fair pricing.

They argued the program generated savings of at least Rp1.2 trillion, citing the absence of licensing fees for ChromeOS compared with Microsoft Windows.

As part of an effort to promote transparency, Nadiem’s legal team has published a “white paper” outlining its arguments and supporting data. Nadiem said he hoped the trial would move beyond competing narratives and focus on verifiable facts.

“I hope this court process becomes a source of clarity based on data, not a battle of narratives,” he said.