Google Asia Pacific Ex-President Scott Beaumont Testifies via Video Link in Jakarta Corruption Court, Denies Allegations

Former Google executives have testified in Jakarta’s Corruption Court, denying any connection between the company’s investments in Indonesian ride-hailing and e-commerce firm GoTo and the procurement of Chromebook laptops for Indonesian schools during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scott Beaumont, former president of Google Asia Pacific from 2014 to 2019, appeared via video link on Monday, April 20, 2026 and stated that there was “absolutely no connection between Google’s investment in GoTo and any discussions with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbud).” He made the remarks while serving as a character witness for Nadiem Anwar Makarim, the former education minister and co-founder of Gojek, who is on trial over allegations of corruption in a government laptop procurement scheme.

Beaumont’s testimony was supported by Caesar Sengupta, former general manager and vice president at Google from 2018 to 2021, and William Florence, a former Google executive, who also appeared via video link. Together, they challenged a central claim by prosecutors that Makarim had used his influence to direct Google to invest in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB), the parent company of Gojek, as part of a scheme to benefit from the Chromebook procurement.

According to the indictment, Google invested a total of $786 million in PT AKAB between 2017 and 2021. Prosecutors allege that Nadiem Makarim was enriched by Rp 809 billion through share investments from Google to a Gojek-affiliated company, which they claim stemmed from this investment. The case centers on accusations that Makarim abused his authority to make Google the sole supplier of information and communications technology in Indonesia’s education sector, particularly by steering procurement toward Chromebook devices during the shift to remote learning in 2020 and 2021.

The prosecution claims the Chromebook procurement process caused state losses of $125 million (approximately S$158.9 million). Makarim was arrested in September 2025 following an investigation into the matter and has remained in custody as the trial proceeds.

PT AKAB officially changed its name to PT Gojek Tokopedia (GoTo) after the merger between Gojek and Tokopedia. Throughout the trial, Google’s investment in the company has been scrutinized as evidence of alleged collusion between Makarim and Google. However, the former executives maintained that the investment decisions were made independently and were not influenced by any government officials.

The testimony undercut a key element of the prosecution’s argument, which had suggested a direct link between Google’s corporate decisions and the minister’s actions in the laptop procurement process. As the trial continues, the court will weigh the credibility of these denials against the documentary and testimonial evidence presented by prosecutors.